Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 286-287 (Patreon)

Arwin spent the next few hours preparing the Devil’s Den for the Dungeon Heart. Now that the decision to fight had been set in stone, there was no reason to delay it any longer. Every single component by the last one was ready, but they still had to be readied to be combined.

They were borderline identical copies of the pieces he’d made for the Infernal Armory. Arwin had intentionally chosen to avoid making them cursed — there would be enough of that from when he made the Dungeon Heart’s housing. Having potentially competing effects or too many drawbacks could end up ruining everything they’d been working for.

He laid them out in the corner of the common room before returning to the Infernal Armory and setting about creating the cage for the Dungeon Heart with its help.

Lillia took the time to work in the kitchen, preparing everything they would need for when the time to fight Twelve arrived.

Verdant Inferno sang as Arwin prepared the cage from Ivorin, just as he had the previous time he’d made a Hearthome for the Infernal Armory. He purified the metal within the molten embrace of magma, then forged it into bars and stacked them up next to the still-beating Dungeon Heart.

He connected the Ivorin pieces and formed it into ribs, leaving the top section open. The Dungeon Heart was still a fleshy organ. Arwin didn’t want to accidentally damage it while he was putting everything together.

It took a little bit longer than the previous time. Part of the reason was because the process wasn’t quite as near effortless as it had been when Lillia had helped him. The Infernal Armory was a good partner, but the benefits of Couple of Crafters didn’t seem to apply to it.

That was a good thing. Arwin did not like the idea of the Infernal Armory counting as a partner. It was an ally and an aide, but partner carried a few too many connotations with it that he preferred to reserve for Lillia.

Fortunately, the other reason it took longer was because Arwin actually knew what he was doing this time around. His intent was focused, aided by the Infernal Armory as they worked in conjunction toward making the most powerful item they could.

Arwin dismissed Verdant Inferno as he lowered the heart into its cage. He selectively heated portions of the metal with [Soul Flame], then bent them into the proper position with [Scourge].

Magical energy tingled at his fingertips as he worked. The Dungeon Heart thumped in synchrony with Arwin’s own heart, a particularly unnerving sound. He didn’t let it distract him. He could feel the item’s desire. The magic burning within it, seeking an outlet.

An outlet that he gave it. The Dungeon Heart didn’t seem to have any specific desires as to what it wanted to be. It simply wanted to be. That was quite fine with Arwin. It meant the item wouldn’t put up a fight in complying with his desires — and he knew exactly what he wanted it to be.   

Arwin bent the final pieces of the cage together, then took a step back. The Mesh ignited like a spark on dry wood.

Magic slammed into him and froze the breath in his chest.

[Hearthome: Cursed Quality] has been forged. Forging a cursed item has granted you a significant amount of magical energy.

Arwin blew out a breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. The black veins connected to his back popped out and slipped away as he looked down at his creation with trepidation. Its stats were hidden from others due to [Harbringer of the Forsaken], but to him, they made themselves bare.

Hearthome [Cursed]

[Unlive]: This item is not inert, but it does not live. It is composed with equal parts metal and flesh, creating a form that can only continue its existence through sustained magical input.

[The Heart of the Inn]: Pure magical energy that enters this item grants it life, allowing it to beat. Its purpose and actions are variable.

[Bodyless]: This item needs a body to function.

[The Soul of the Inn]: This is a set item of [3] pieces forged by Arwin Tyrr for Lillian Los. When the entire set is connected, it will gain the [Awoken] trait and become active.

[Taste for Forbidden Power]:  This item has unique tastes.

Arwin’s eyes flicked over the Hearthome’s description, catching on the final line. His lips thinned. There was very little description, and then there was whatever the hell ‘This item has unique tastes’ was.

As the previous Hearthome had been, this one was painfully scarce with what it would actually do. Being Cursed had somehow made that even worse. Arwin blew out a long breath. It didn’t look like they’d be able to figure out exactly what the heart did until it was connected to the rest of the set.

Arwin wrapped the Hearthome in a cloth that he’d brought in from the Devil’s Den, then strode out of the Infernal Armory and made for the inn.

Lillia poked her head out of the kitchen as soon as Arwin stepped through the door. Her knife floated out beside her, its blade coated in what looked to be blood — hopefully from something that had been dead before the knife had cut it.

Arwin pulled the covering off the Hearthome and brought it over to the other two pieces of the set that sat in the corner of the room.

“What is that description?” Lillia asked, her eyes trailing the item. “Could it possibly have been vaguer?”

“I think the Mesh just likes screwing with us,” Arwin said, blowing out a short breath of annoyance. Anticipation, excitement, and worry mixed in his chest. This had to work. They couldn’t afford to fail. Not now. “If we want this to be ready in time for Twelve, I have to connect it now.”

“Is it going to kick me out of the kitchen?” Lillia asked.

Arwin sent a critical glance down at the heart. It thumped away in its cage, uncaring to their concerns and the outside world. Until they connected it to the building, it was just a heart without any real desires.

“Hopefully not. Your inn is a lot bigger than the Infernal Armory, but it’s definitely possible. Is that okay?”

“Yes. I’d like to stay in the kitchen if possible. It would be annoying if I got kicked out, but I have the bare minimum of what we need to deal with Twelve from my end. Getting the Devil’s Den as strong as possible is the most important thing we can do here.”

“The others are gone?”

“Yeah. Rodrick is doing some scouting and working with Anna. Reya and Olive are with them, and I think Madiv went with Esmerelda back to her store.”

Arwin gave her a curt nod. There was no further reason to delay. Lillia took the Hearthome from Arwin as he connected the copies of the Millstone Maw and the Churning Stomach together with a grunt.

He gave the set a critical glance to make sure everything was in place, then gestured to Lillia. She lowered the Heart into place.

There was a thunk as the pieces slid together. The heart thumped within its cage, and both of them took a step back. Energy buzzed across Arwin’s skin and crackles of golden magic danced across the ground. They ran up the walls of the Devil’s den, flickered across the ceiling, and vanished into the darkness.

A rumble ran through the floor beneath them. Arwin and Lillia took a step back toward the door as the ribs of the Hearthome peeled back, driving into the ground and lifting the pulsating Dungeon Heart into the air like a fleshy spider.

Then the heart drove into the ground of the Den, slicing through wood and burrowing deep within the earth. Lillia drew in a sharp breath and staggered. Arwin caught her as she grabbed at her chest, eyes going wide.

“Lillia!” Arwin exclaimed. “Are you okay?”

“I — yes. I’m fine,” Lillia said, straightening back up. Her gaze was fixed on something that Arwin couldn’t see. Determination set itself in her features and she jerked her head in a nod.

Slices of crimson light sliced words before them.   

The Devil’s Den [Cursed]

[The Hearth]: This building has been taken as the body of the Hearthome. The Devil’s Den has been accepted as the familiar of Lillian Los.

[Heartbeat Shield]: For as long as this item has magical energy, its status is concealed from everyone other than those who have bonded to it.

[Taste for Forbidden Power]:  This item has unique tastes known only to its master. If it is not properly cared for, it will attempt to feed on those who reside within its walls.

[Dark Domain]: The Demon Queen’s powers are greatly amplified within the Devil’s Den so long as it is properly fed.

Arwin swallowed. Lillia was already powerful within her tavern. Greatly amplifying her powers… that was a terrifying concept. The flicker of hope in Arwin’s chest turned to a smoldering flame. They actually had a chance. They could beat Twelve.    

The words slipped away, plunging the room back into darkness. The wood that the Heart had damaged moments before bent itself back into place, sealing over as if it had never been broken.

Lillia’s lips moved as she whispered something so silently that Arwin couldn’t make it out. Then she turned to him, a queasy look on her face.

“It worked… but I’m going to need some privacy while the Heart establishes itself. I have to stay here, but you—”

Arwin held a hand up. “I understand. Be careful and call for me if you need anything. I’ll be in the smithy, working on the bracelet.”

“Thanks.” Lillia gave him a small, appreciative smile. “Nobody will be able to come in for a while. It shouldn’t be more than five or six hours. I’ll help you with the bracelet as soon as the connection is done.”

Arwin gave her a nod, then strode out of the inn. The door slammed shut the moment he’d left. It seemed the Devil’s Den didn’t want anyone interfering while it got to know Lillia.

According to the Mesh, the very inn had somehow become her familiar. Arwin had absolutely no idea how that worked or what it entailed, but if it made her powers stronger within it, then it was what they needed.

He hesitated outside the building for a moment. It was a little unnerving to leave Lillia alone with a sentient Cursed item, but she was the former Demon Queen and a grown woman. She didn’t need him babying her — and there was still a lot of work to be done before the day ended.

Arwin threw one last glance back at the inn, which stood innocently as if nothing had changed, then set off for the Infernal Armory.

There was only one step left to take.

Once he made a bracelet that could completely conceal Twelve’s identity, they would be ready to bring the man to justice — and then, finally, the Menagerie would be completely free of Jessen’s influence.

Chapter 287

Arwin studied the materials laid out before him. His back was sore from hunching over an anvil and his jaw hurt from being clenched in concentration. He’d spent the last three hours poring over everything he had to work with, trying to figure out what the best way to make the bracelet for Twelve would be.

He’d tested out every single type of metal that he still had pieces of, quizzing them mentally to run through their desires before eventually settling on Ivorin. While some of the other metals Esmerelda could have gotten him might have been stronger, Ivorin was so happy to be used for anything that it fit his needs perfectly.

The most important aspect for an item like this was ensuring it did exactly what he wanted. There was no room for failure or deviation from the plan.

Unfortunately, choosing the metal turned out to be the easy part.

The real struggle was figuring out what components Arwin would add to it. There were three main things the bracelet absolutely had to accomplish. It had to be functionally impossible to remove, it had to change its wearer’s appearance to a pre-set monster, and it had to change or warp their words to ensure Twelve couldn’t reveal anything during the fight.

There wasn’t a good way for Arwin to predict exactly what to put into the bracelet. He’d never made anything even remotely like this. There were so many separate pieces that had to work perfectly and in conjunction that he was tempted to rip his own hair out.

Every component of an item affected the other ones. The more different desires and magical desires there were within the bracelet, the harder it would be for him to ensure it acted the way he wanted it to.

Arwin held up several pieces of carapace that the Menagerie had collected over their time together. Pieces of spider, chunks of centipede, and a few extras that Rodrick had brought in from dungeon delves that Arwin hadn’t been on.

He set the pieces down beside a pile of wyrm parts — teeth, claws, fangs, bones. And it wasn’t just that. There were parts from dozens of different monsters. If anyone had walked into his smithy, they might have suspected him to be a madman hording trophies of his victims rather than a smith.

Arwin was still poring over his options when the door to his smithy swung open behind him. He glanced over his shoulder as Esmerelda and Lillia stepped into the room. The Infernal Armory slammed the door shut behind them with a resounding bang.

“Dramatic,” Lillia muttered under her breath.

“I like it,” Esmerelda said. “A flair for the dramatic is a core component of any true devil. We have much to study.”

Lillia sent Esmerelda a sidelong look. It struck Arwin that they still hadn’t told the elderly woman the truth about their identities. Something told him that Esmerelda might have ever so slightly misunderstood the situation — but at the moment, he couldn’t be bothered to rectify her misconceptions.

 “I’ve never been more relieved to see people. I’ve hit my wits end. But how’s the Devil’s Den?” Arwin asked. “And are you feeling okay, Lillia?”

“I’m doing fine. I still feel a little weird, but the connection is established,” Lillia said. She shifted from foot to foot, then shook her head. “I can’t really describe it. It feels like I got an extra limb.”

“I’ve grown a few of those in my lifetime,” Esmerelda said, her eyes glazing over in reminiscence as a small smile played across her weathered features. “Ah, the good old days. I miss them every day. I used to have so much fun. People were so much more interesting back then. Now, everybody is a little penny pincher. I haven’t sold anything in months. Months! Where is everyone’s sense of adventure?”

“Could that be because you insist on selling Cursed items?” Arwin hedged. “It’s not a very good long-term business plan.”

“Nonsense. My stock is perfectly fine.” Esmerleda exclaimed loudly in an affronted tone. She glanced over her shoulder and then lowered her voice. “It’s definitely because I sell cursed items. But Lillia tells me that’s exactly why you need to call on my expertise. Is there something you need to purchase?”

Arwin winced. There was a note of desperation in the old woman’s tone. He was almost starting to feel bad about shooting Esmerelda’s attempts down.

“No. I need help making a Cursed item, not buying one.”

Esmerelda heaved a sigh. “Of course. My consultation fee is a toe.”

“A what now?” Arwin asked.

“A toe.” Esmerelda pointed at her foot. “Devil’s toe. Very useful. You’ll grow it back soon enough.”

Does… Esmerelda think I’m a devil?

“I’m not giving you that,” Arwin said.

“I’ll settle for a toenail,” Esmerelda said. “It’s only fair. A fee—”

“Would obviously be waived, given that you’ve stated desire to be part of the Menagerie,” Lillia said smoothly. “And we don’t charge each other for advice.”

Esmerelda’s mouth snapped shut. She glared at Lillia for a second before her shoulders slumped and she let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, fine. Out with it, then. What do you need?”

Arwin briefly explained the bracelet to Esmerelda. She listened quietly until he had finished, then nodded thoughtfully as she rubbed at her chin. Several seconds of silence passed before a grin pulled across her lips.

“What a nefarious item. Positively vile. Forcibly warping someone’s form into that of a monster… only a real devil could come up with such an idea. I am honored to work in your presence,” Esmerelda said in delight.

Arwin repressed a wince.

 Ouch. I… really didn’t need to hear that. This is far from an honorable fight — but Twelve trained and armed a murderous monster. I’m not going to play nice with somebody like that. Not when my guild’s lives are on the line.

“So?” Arwin asked through a weary sigh. “How can I do it? My problem is I’ve got too many competing desires. I can’t figure out how to get it all to come together without causing too many conflicts in desire. Have you ever run into a situation like that when you make potions?”

“Oh, all the time.” Esmerelda waved a hand dismissively. “There are countless ingredients for my work. Most of them are magic, and half of ‘em hate the other half. You have to find which ones don’t hate each other and make the potion one bit at a time. Combine the bits that work first, and when that mellows out, you have something new. It reacts differently than each of its components, which is why order is so important when brewing.”

“I see,” Arwin said, tapping a finger against his thigh in thought. “But how do you keep the different parts from competing with each other if you need a potion that does multiple complex things?”

Esmerelda reached into her pant pocket and rifled around in it for a moment before pulling out a large vial that definitely shouldn’t have fit in where she’d pulled it. The vial was empty and had a thin glass wall running down its center, splitting it in half.

“With this,” Esmerelda said. “Segmented vial.”

Arwin decided not to ask where she’d gotten the vial. “What’s it do?”

“Each half has a different potion,” Lillia guessed. “And when you fling it or drink it, they both activate at once.”

“Exactly,” Esmerelda said. “When you’ve got something too complex, you have to think outside the magic. Who needs the two potions to be the same one? Just throw the bottle harder and they’ll both activate at once. Good old fashioned logic works just as well.”

Arwin blinked.

Huh. Two different potions basically taped together? It sounds stupid, but it’s so simple it’s genius. But how can I do that with items?

They were all silent for several seconds.

Then Arwin’s eyes lit up. He spun back to his materials, searching through the components for a gemstone.

“Holy shit. Esmerelda, you’re a genius.”

“I know,” Esmerelda said. She hesitated for a second. “What did I do?”

“Gems,” Arwin said, plucking a clear crystal from the pile. “I normally use them like energy batteries in items.”

“Isn’t that still part of the item?” Lillia asked. “How will that make it any easier to make?”

“It won’t — but that’s only if I actually set the gemstone in the finished item,” Arwin said with a shake of his head. “Making a Set might help, but I don’t know how to control the set bonus, and that could ruin everything if it’s actually powerful or somehow helps Twelve in another way. But if I make two entirely separate items… a bracelet that shifts the wearer into the form of something set within it, and an item that contains the essence of a monster…”

“It’s much easier to make each of the pieces since they don’t need to influence each other. They exist independently and just work together when you choose to connect them,” Lillia finished, her eyes lighting up. “Can you do that?”

Arwin nodded. “Yes. That, I can do. I’m certain of it.”

“What about the monster you’re going to shift Twelve into?” Lillia asked. “Have you figured out what it will be? You’ll need a piece of it, I’d assume.”

 He studied Lillia before slowly nodding. “Yes. I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what might work. Would the two of you be willing to help me a little more?”

Esmerelda shrugged. “Sounds fun. I’m in.”

“You already know I am as well,” Lillia said. “I’ve finished the most important parts of my own preparation.”

“Perfect,” Arwin said. The Infernal Armory rumbled to life around them. Black veins pulsed with power along the floor and tendrils reached out, driving into his back and connecting him to the building. A determined smile pulling across his features. “Then let’s get to making this, shall we?”

***

Eight hours later, just as night started to set over the Menagerie’s street, the clang of metal within the Infernal Armory went silent.

Lillia and Esmerelda both leaned against the wall, exhaustion playing across their features and their bodies drained of magic.

Arwin wasn’t in much better shape. He leaned against his anvil, strength spent, breathing heavily and soaked with sweat. This was their third try, and Arwin didn’t think they had the strength for another in the time they had left. Two items — the results of all their efforts — sat within his hand.

The first was a bone white band. It was entirely plain and unadorned, aside from two fingers that twisted up from its top in preparation to hold onto something.

That something sat rested just beside the band in Arwin’s palm. A plain red gemstone trimmed on all sides with a band of Ivorin wrapped around it, sized perfectly to slot into the band.

With trembling fingers, Arwin plucked the gemstone from his palm and slipped it into the band. It snapped into place.

The results of all their efforts sat within his hand.

Arwin’s eyes traced through the words that shimmered to life in the air, visible only to him. He swallowed.

“Well?” Lillia asked in trepidation. “Did it work?”

Arwin’s fingers closed around the bracelet.

His gaze lowered to meet hers.

“It worked,” Arwin said quietly. Their preparations were finally over. The night was upon them, and they would all need their rest if they were to be prepared to survive what waited for them the following day. “Tomorrow, this all ends.”