Rise of the Living Forge - Chapter 207-208 (Patreon)

The air was taut with tension. Nobody spoke as they all waited to see if their efforts would be enough to completely stop the poison ripping through Melissa’s body. Seconds dragged on, rolling by just like the droplets of sweat that traced down Anna’s concentrated face.

As the minutes went by, Melissa’s posture continued to relax. The top of the counter definitely wasn’t comfortable, but her back, arched in pain, eased. Her white knuckles unclenched and her breathing steadily drew softer and calmer.

Anna continued to watch over her and push magic into Melissa’s body whenever she gathered enough energy to get back to work. Lillia looked like she wanted to go cook something else, but there was only so much food that somebody could eat at once.

There was nothing they could do but hope that Anna had what she needed to and Melissa could gather the strength to pull through with her aid. Arwin could nearly taste the frustration in the air.

He could fight a monster. He could block an attack. But this — he couldn’t do anything other than watch. The others were the same. Even the drunkard in the corner radiated unease. There wasn’t a single feeling in the world that stung more than helplessness.

Arwin was no more than a few seconds away from heading upstairs just so he could pace back and forth without distracting Anna when she finally let her hands drop and rest against the counter.

“It’s done,” Anna said through a weary sigh and a smile. “Nine Underlands, that was a tenacious poison. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

Rodrick wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of his sleeve and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to support her. “The girl’s fine, then?”

“I’m not a girl,” Melissa said, her voice nearly twice as strong as the last time she had spoken. There was a confident, strong air to her tone that would have felt more at place at the side of a commander rather than someone her age. “And thanks to your efforts, I believe I am.”

Melissa pushed herself upright. This time, nobody stopped her. Whatever she’d been planning to say was put on pause as she finally got her first proper look at the tavern. A frilly dress-clad imp stood in the shadows, hands wrung in response to Lillia’s concern.

Lillia herself stood across from her, tail and purple skin in broad view. Some stroke of luck had spared them from Madiv being present as well, but Lillia was definitely more than enough to give anyone sane pause.

Melissa hesitated for a grand total of three seconds before gathering herself and getting her surprised features under control. She swallowed before speaking. “Oh. I’ve been captured by the Horde.”

Why is she so apathetic about it? Shouldn’t you be more concerned if you think the horde kidnapped you?

“No, no, nothing like that!” Lillia said hurriedly, lifting her hands to show they were empty. “You’re still in Milten. This is a themed tavern.”

“This is Lillia,” Arwin said, putting a hand on the demon queen’s shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. “She’s the owner of the Devil’s Den, a monster themed tavern. That’s why it’s so dark in here. The imp in the corner is a shadow construct she made.”

 Melissa’s brow furrowed. She hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. “I — oh. That does make sense. No actual monster would live somewhere so… obviously monster-like. It’s over the top. I see. My apologies. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.”

“I think we can give you a pass considering how close you were to dying,” Anna said from behind Melissa. She walked around the counter to get a better look at the girl’s face, then nodded to herself. “You’ve got some color back. How are you feeling?”

“Incredible,” Melissa said, a note of wonder entering her voice. “Like I could bound over a rooftop with a single jump. What did you do to me?”

“If you’re referring to the feeling better part, that would be Anna. She’s a very talented healer,” Lillia said, giving the girl a winning smile. “The excess energy you feel now is because I fed you Wyrmling steak. I use special ingredients to help it give you a boost of strength. It won’t last forever, but it’ll help you recover.”

  “Ooh,” Melissa said with a knowing nod. “Drugs.”

“What?” Lillia exclaimed. “No! I don’t drug my food. It’s just my class.”

 “I’m sorry!” Melissa said, bowing her head repeatedly in embarrassment. “I didn’t think I’d said that out loud. My head is still a little hazy. I really don’t mean to cause any offense. I owe all of you a formal thanks for saving my life. Especially the man in the corner. He brought me here, didn’t he?”

Arwin followed Melissa’s gaze to the drunkard. The white-haired man curled his lip in distaste and looked down into his empty tankard. He gave them a half-hearted shrug. “Didn’t do much.”

“Perhaps that’s how you see it, but I value my life quite a bit,” Melissa said. “Would you all be willing to share your names with me? I am… not in a good position right now, but I swear I will find a way to repay all of you.”

“I’m Arwin. You already know Lillia and Anna’s name. Rodrick is the guy next to Anna. The girl with the dagger is Reya, and the one by her side is Olive. And as for our white haired friend, I think I’d like to know that as well,” Arwin said, sending the drunkard a flat look. He wasn’t sure if he could even think of the man as a drunkard anymore.

“My name doesn’t matter,” the drunkard said. “If you want to thank me, feel free to buy me a drink. Mine is out.”

Melissa’s cheeks colored in embarrassment and her face fell. “I… don’t have any money right now. I’m sorry. I’d offer to spend time here and work my debt off, but I fear my presence may be more trouble than the work I can do. The sooner I leave, the better. I swear I won’t forget this, though. I—”

“Hold on,” Arwin said as he raised a hand to forestall any more apologies. He wasn’t about to get blindsided by some pissed off guild. Not again. “I won’t keep you here, but I’d like to know what we’ve gotten ourselves into by helping you. Tell us why someone is sending assassins after you. After that, if you still want to leave, you’ll be welcome to. We can even give you some supplies.”

Hope tinged Melissa’s expression. She swallowed, hands tightening at her sides, and she inclined her head. “You’re right. It’s only fair. My name is Melissa Montibeau.”

She let her words trail off into silence, giving them an expectant look. Everyone sent her a flat stare in response. Arwin glanced over to the drunkard, but he seemed equally as lost. The man just looked down into his empty tankard with a despondent expression.

“That’s a nice name, but something tells me the assassins aren’t after you because they want to steal it,” Arwin said gently.

“Do… you not know who I am?” Melissa asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

“I haven’t the faintest clue,” Anna said. Olive and Reya both shrugged as well.

“If you don’t know who I am, why did you go through so much effort to help me?” Melissa asked in shock.

“Because you were dying and showed up at Lillia’s door. I’m a healer. My job is to heal.” Anna shrugged. “I’d have done it for anyone, and Lillia would have too. Perhaps you could enlighten us as to why your name is relevant?”

“My family — the Montibeaus — are a noble family that works with a number of small merchant guilds. We don’t have any major ones, but we have enough small ones that we have a pretty effective foothold in several small towns. Milten is one of them,” Melissa said. There was a strong note of pride in her voice. She swung her legs over the side of the counter to sit more properly and her shoulders slumped. “At least, we had a good hold. My father died two weeks ago, and everything has been unraveling since.”

“Your father… am I remiss in guessing that he was the head of your family?” Arwin asked.

Melissa nodded. Her lower lip quivered for just an instant before she steeled her features and set her jaw. “He was. I suspect one of the rival families killed him. But right now, it doesn’t matter. I can’t afford to wonder or speculate. I need to get back to my family before everything he built is destroyed.”

“I think I’m following where this is going,” Rodrick said. His eyes held none of their typical joviality. “The assassins are from the other families to put the final nail in your family’s coffin.”

“That’s the conclusion I’ve come to as well. My father taught me everything he knew about our business. If I could back and take control, I’d be able to stop this. I can’t undo the damage, but I can keep it from getting worse. And that’s what I’m going to do. Once I get back to my family and stop it from crumbling, I swear on my family name that I’ll repay all of you for what you’ve done.”

Why am I not surprised that it’s a merchant guild causing trouble? They might not be fighters themselves, but they seem perfectly happy to kill people in every single indirect way known to man. Who needs to fight yourself when you can just hire some assassin and outfit them with a deadly poison?

“Do you know what guild may be targeting you?” Arwin asked, suspicion laden in his tone. If it was the Ardent guild —

“A group called the Kererus Coalition. I’m almost certain of it. They’re powerful, but I didn’t think they had a strong presence in Milten. That’s why I ran here. I was hoping I’d be able to hire some mercenaries.” Melissa’s fists clenched in fury. “But I lost all my gold. It got stolen.”

Arwin winced in sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s life,” Melissa said. She slid down from the counter and swayed for a moment. Arwin reached to steady her, but she caught her balance on her own. Melissa held his gaze, ironclad determination etched into her expression. “It just means that wasn’t the right path. I’ll find a new one. I have to. I won’t let my father’s legacy be destroyed like this. I will succeed. I have to.”

  He believed her. Even after shaking hands with death, she stood before him with squared jaws and not an ounce of missing confidence. She was driven — and it was a drive he recognized.

I like this kid. She’s got fire.

Arwin realized that Lillia was looking at him. She caught his attention and gave him a slight nod. The rest of the Menagerie all had the same look in their eyes. This wasn’t their fight. They couldn’t afford to save everyone. Arwin knew that — but power didn’t come without risk.

The greatest victories were the ones wrested from the jaws of defeat. And, when there was a great victory, there was attention. A small smile pulled at Arwin’s lips.

Maybe I’m just telling myself this to justify my actions. Even if that’s true, I don’t care. I won’t stand aside when I can make a difference.

Besides, I already decided that it was about time to start making some basic magic weaponry and selling it to select individuals.

“Maybe you should stick around for just a little longer before you leave,” Arwin suggested. He activated [Arsenal] and summoned all of his equipment aside from his gauntlets and helm. “We’re no mercenaries, but I’ve always liked an underdog story. I can’t fight your battles for you… but I can give you the tools to win them. If you’re the head of your family, then you’ve got the authority to accept deals on their behalf.”

“I — I don’t understand,” Melissa said, her eyes going wide. “What are you offering? I can’t afford anything right now. I’m completely destitute.”

“Forget money for now. It sounds like you’ve only got to deal with assassins, not armies or warriors prepared for a serious fight. I can outfit you with magical equipment. I can’t guarantee you’ll win with it, but it’ll give you a fighting chance. I think your family could help me a lot in the future, and if you take these bastards down using my gear, it’ll bring me fame and attention. That’s what I’m after. Win-win.”

“You’ll… just give me magical gear?” Melissa asked in disbelief. “Something strong enough to let me fight the assassins? For free?”

“Not for free. You’ll pay me back in the future.” Arwin gave Melissa a confident smile and extended a hand to her. “Let’s call it an investment.”

Chapter 208

Melissa stared at Arwin’s extended hand like it were made of solid gold. Her eyes flicked up to his face. It was so silent in the room that Arwin could almost make out her heartbeat. Thought flashed through Melissa’s eyes but her features gave nothing away, the trained mask of a professional.

And, in that second, she found her choice. Her hand lifted to clasp Arwin’s. “If you can give me anything that gives me so much as a chance, then I accept. Any price you require so long as it leaves my family intact is acceptable.”

“I require nothing but the fame you will earn my work, future partnership, and the money for my time and effort when it is back in your possession,” Arwin said as they shook. He released Melissa’s hand and it dropped back to her side. “There’s only so far that weapons and armor can take you. If you want to deal with a threat this big, you’ll still need warriors.”

“Are you offering—”

Arwin shook his head before Melissa had finished her question. “Sorry. I am not. My guild are not mercenaries. I’ll outfit you. Anna and Lillia will heal you, and we’ll protect you while you’re in our walls, but we’re not going to start a war. We aren’t strong enough to, nor can we afford to.”

Melissa didn’t look surprised. She just nodded her understanding. “I understand. I still had to try.”

“Of course,” Arwin said, a small smile crossing over his features. He could still smell the tantalizing juice from the meal he and Lillia had made. Some more food sounded fantastic after a near crisis had been averted, but there was one more thing to handle before he could worry about that. “It’ll take me some time to get you a full set. None of my own guild even have something like that yet. I’ll need a week at the very least. Possibly more.”

“A week,” Melissa repeated. She rolled the words over in her mouth as if tasting them. Her expression was inscrutable. Her father really had trained her well as a merchant. The more she recovered from the residuals of the poison and got her feet out from under her, the harder it was to figure out what she was thinking or read any fear in her expression. “Far shorter than I would have expected for magical items, but still far longer than I would have liked. Even a day is too long to delay my task, but I was prepared for worse. I will find a place to stay.”

“Why look?” Lillia asked. “This one will work just fine. I guarantee you won’t find cheaper — or safer.”

“You have rooms?”

“The Devil’s Den is more than a tavern,” Lillia said with the smile of a business woman. Melissa wasn’t injured anymore, so selling to her was no longer a faux pas. “Only a silver for a night. I know you don’t have any money now, but you’ll need some if you plan to get anything accomplished. I imagine someone as resourceful as you can get a job quickly.”

“I… will try,” Melissa said hesitantly. “A silver is better than I expected. It is reasonable. I will do what I can to find a place to earn money.”

“We’ll set you up if you can’t,” Arwin promised. He clapped the girl on the shoulder gently to avoid accidentally hurting her, then turned to look at the drunkard in the corner of the tavern. He’d retreated to the shadows at the back of the room, but Arwin could still see his pure blue eyes as clear as day. “And that only leaves you.”

“What of me? You heard the girl,” the drunkard said with a wave of his empty tankard. The wall creaked as he pushed away from it and stepped into the dim lantern light. “She can’t afford a drink. Are you planning to cover it for her?”

“That’s a question for Lillia, but one I suspect she’d be happy to oblige if you answer one small question,” Arwin said. He leaned against the counter and met the drunkard’s gaze. “Who are you? I don’t think any of us believe that you’re just some random man that lives on our street anymore.”

 “Your street?” the drunkard let out a snort and gestured at Arwin with the tankard in his hand. “You say that like you were the first here. This is my street, smith.”

“I won’t argue that you lived here first,” Arwin said with a grunt. Annoyance tugged at his stomach and his fingers drummed against the wooden counter. “And legally speaking, it’s our street. You lived here, but you never tried to improve anything. We fixed these shops. We’ve tried to improve things and make them livable.”

“They were perfectly livable. All you did was make them loud and bring waves of scum through them.”

Arwin’s jaw clenched. He was more than aware it wasn’t completely fair to demand the drunkard’s identity. The man didn’t owe them anything. If he didn’t want to speak about himself, then there was nothing Arwin could justifiably use as leverage.

That doesn’t make me want to know any less. This isn’t just a drunkard. I don’t even know his name. This must be how people feel when they realize that Lillia and I are more than we seem to be.

“Damn it,” Arwin muttered. “Won’t you at least give me a name? I can’t force you to say anything, but I’ve been thinking of you as ‘the drunkard’ for too long. This is our street. Like it or not, you don’t live alone. I’d like to be good neighbors, but I can’t do that if you insist on keeping a wall up.”

The drunkard let out a sharp burst of laughter. “What makes you think that I give a rat’s ass about being good neighbors, smith? I don’t dislike you or your group. You’re loud and bring far too much attention, but I can tolerate that. There have been worse that tried to move in before you. That doesn’t give you the right to know anything about me. Don’t spoil a good thing.”

It was a few seconds before Arwin responded. He ran a hand through his hair, contemplating the drunkard’s words. Then he inclined his head. If that was going to be how things were, then he really couldn’t argue. It was the drunkard’s choice.

Not enemies, but not friends. I suppose that’s what we’ve got to work with. I can’t make somebody like us, and I can’t make them reveal their past. That said…

“You’re right,” Arwin admitted. “I don’t have the right to know your history or who you are. But I do have the right to protect myself and my people, and that’s what I’m going to do. I can’t and won’t force you to tell me your life story. I’m not your king. But if you won’t say anything about yourself, how do I know you aren’t selling information to the other guilds?”

 It was the drunkard’s turn to be silent. A second crawled by. Two. Finally, the white-haired man let out a disgruntled huff.

“Because I would not harm someone unable to fight back. That is the only answer you will draw from me.”

His words rang true. There was no way to verify them, but Arwin believed the man, nonetheless. It spoke numbers in his favor that he’d just risked his life to save a woman he didn’t know from an assassin.

“Then I’ve got nothing more to say,” Arwin said with a small nod. “You’re welcome in our tavern whenever you want. We have more rooms as well if you ever want to stay somewhere off the streets.”

 “I far prefer the company of the alleys to that of the living. I am content.” The drunkard let out a snort and shook his head. He paused for a moment before looking back to Arwin. “But the offer is noted.”

Their conversation was just about at its natural stopping point, but it didn’t get a chance to farther even if they’d wanted it too. A thud rang out against the door.

“Let me in!” Madiv’s curt voice came from the other side.

Reya jogged over to the door and pulled it open. The vampire stood on the other side, his frilly suit slightly ruffled and a splatter of red once again sprayed across his front. Arwin suppressed a sigh. It looked like Madiv had lost another fight with —

Wait.

The subtle smell of metal and iron in the air. It clung to Madiv like a specter.

That’s not ketchup on him. That’s blood.

“Madiv?” Lillia asked, instantly catching on. “What’s going on? Don’t tell me you got into another problem with the Ardent guild.”

“I do not believe it was the Ardent guild,” Madiv replied. “But there is a trained group of killers encroaching on our territory. Eight men in grey uniforms and with masked faces.”

“Gray? Eight men?” Rodrick’s eyes sharpened and he spun toward Melissa. “The assassin that tried to kill you. He wore gray? You never said he wore gray.”

“I - I didn’t realize it was relevant,” Melissa stammered. She took a step back and bumped into the counter at the anger in Rodrick’s voice. “The assassins couldn’t have found me already. It’s not possible. And eight of them? I’m not worth nearly that many men!”

“What’s going on?” Olive asked. Her hand fell to the hilt of her sword. “Rodrick, it sounds like you know something. Maybe you’d like to share?”

“Gray clothed assassins that travel in groups of ten,” Rodrick said, his voice grim. “Yes, I know of them. They’re members of the Falling Blade. A guild of political assassins for hire. They only take major jobs and are prohibitively expensive.”

“A group like that was hired to kill me?” Melissa asked, her face going as pale as a sheet. Her back pressed against the counter as she fought to swallow. “Why?”

“Hold on,” Olive said. “Madiv counted eight. One is dead. Where’s the last one?”

“One attempted to apprehend me for questioning. He did not believe they were in dangerous territory.” Madiv adjusted his cufflinks and looked over his shoulder. “I rectified his misconception. Eight remain.”

I’ve never seen Madiv fight, but if he was able to handle one, we can fight back. I’ll be damned if I let a group of assassins stroll onto my damn street and do what they want.

“How much shit are we in?” Olive asked. “Can we win?”

“They’ve got different groups in the guild. I can’t say for certain,” Rodrick said. “But I don’t think we’re going to have much choice. If Madiv already killed one, it won’t be long before they’re here.”

“I can leave,” Melissa said, and her voice only trembled slightly. “I’m sorry for bringing you all into this.”

“Don’t bother,” Arwin said curtly. He scanned the tavern as he felt adrenaline start to pump through his veins. There were no signs of anyone lurking in the shadows, and he suspected Lillia would have known if anyone was there anyway. “Two of their members are already dead. We’re in conflict already. No point for you to just kill yourself on top of everything.”

“How far are they?” Reya asked. She gripped the hilt of her dagger and shifted from foot to foot in either anticipation or worry. Knowing the weapon she had, it was probably a mixture of the two.

A shadow rose up behind Madiv. Arwin called out a warning and lunged forward, but the vampire was faster. He spun and hands clapped together, stopping a sword an inch before it could drive into his neck.

Madiv thrust the blade to the side and twirled out of the way as the shadows pulled back fully, revealing a gray-clothed man slightly shorter than Arwin. He carried several throwing knives at his waist and had a second sword strapped to his other side.

Behind him, three other shadows rose up from the ground. Every single one of them looked identical. Arwin couldn’t tell one from the other. There was no sign of the other assassins, but that was no surprise.

I’ve fought stealth-focused monsters before. They use a few to draw the attention, then send their real force in while you’re focused on the bait.

The assassin that had cut at Madiv took a step back, joining the ranks of the other gray-clothed men instead of trying to press the attack any further.

“Step aside. You are in our way,” one of the men said. The voice came from their general direction, but it was impossible to tell which of them had spoken. Arwin’s eyes narrowed as he stepped forward and summoned his helm.

“This is our territory. Leave,” Arwin said. “That’s the only warning you’re going to get.”

“We do not need a slaughter. Put aside your misplaced sense of honor and step out of the way, or you will join the ranks of the dead today. Do not make the mistake of believing that you have a fighting chance against us because two of our members were killed while they were on their own.”

Arwin activated [Dragon’s Greed]. Invisible threads stretched out to three of the visible men, and another thread stretched to the rooftop to his left, locating what was likely an assassin lying in wait. Some of them had magical items, and several of them at that. They were well equipped.

“You’re welcome to do what you want when she’s outside of our tavern,” Arwin said flatly. “We don’t care. But if you come to my territory and try to start killing, then we’re going to have a problem. Practice your vile profession elsewhere. Leave, or I’ll make you.”

“If you remain in our path, then we are enemies,” the assassins’ voice warned. All the men lowered their stances, reaching for their weapons. “This is your only warning.”

Then that we are. I’ve learned my lesson about leaving enemies alive.

“Come, then,” Arwin said. Verdant Blaze formed in his grip. He drove the butt of the hammer down into the ground beside him. “Come and die.”