Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 145-146 (Patreon)

Arwin dove to the ground to avoid the Wyrm’s huge paw as it howled through the air above him. He grabbed a bracelet on his wrist mid-fall, rolling and springing back to his feet as he ripped the bracelet free.

[Hasty]: This item was forged hastily and with inferior material that wasn’t brought to its full potential. Its end will resemble its beginning. This item can strike faster at the cost of magical energy, but the chances of it breaking will increase with the amount of energy used.

[Brittle]: This item has a chance of shattering on every usage. Upon shattering, the magical power stored within the weapon will be released in an instant, causing a minor magical explosion.

The Mesh flickered before Arwin, only lasting an instant before he shoved the entire bracelet into his mouth. It had born the traits of his failed arrow, but they’d serve a new purpose now.

A burning heat erupted in Arwin’s stomach and his muscles thrummed in anticipation. The heat was new — but while he’d grown faster, he didn’t feel any more brittle than he normally did.

The Maw ate the detrimental trait. Good. I’m glad that works.

The Wyrm’s tail whipped toward Arwin and he sprinted out of the way, throwing himself forward into a roll to clear the tip of the huge appendage. He came up running, pulling yet another bracelet off his wrist even as his limbs pumped at max capacity.

Jessen smirked at him and there was a loud whump from behind Arwin. He didn’t need to look to know that the Wyrm had just launched itself into the air and was hurtling for his back. The bracelet shimmered as he brought it to his mouth.

Steel Embrace: Rare Quality

[Steelskin]: Activating this item will turn its wearer’s body to steel and freeze them in place at the continuous cost of magical energy.

He leapt into the air, diving forward, and bit down on the bracelet. The speed from the first bracelet faded, equal parts consumed and pushed out by the new energy that flooded through him.

Arwin’s body stiffened. His limbs ground to a halt and a silvery-grey sheen passed over his entire form as he crossed his arms before his face. Jessen’s eyes widened in surprise an instant before the Wyrm’s tail slammed into Arwin’s back.

Instead of getting crushed to a paste, Arwin hit the ground and skidded across it like the worlds most unwieldy bowling ball. Jessen tried to lunge out of the way, but the magic within the bracelet had already largely faded from the amount of damage it had absorbed.

The sheen left his skin and he threw himself out of the roll, slamming into Jessen’s midsection and sending them both crashing to the ground once more. Arwin didn’t even try landing a blow on the other man — he could hear the Wyrm bearing down on him. Jessen hadn’t lost concentration this time around, and if he wasted time wailing on the man, he was going to be missing the top half of his body before he got his second punch off.

Arwin yanked another bracelet off his wrist.

Metal Bracelet: Average Quality

[Resilient]: This item was forged by a man who felt like a strong bracelet was more important than a pair of greaves. hit it a few too many times, making it considerably more difficult to damage or bend by any means.

[Cracked]: This bracelet was unable to contain the magic stuffed into it and is liable to break under the stress of its own power. Striking the bracelet has a chance to shatter it.

The burning pain in his stomach grew stronger as the Mesh devoured another detrimental trait. Arwin felt energy rush through his body an instant before a massive paw slammed into his back, throwing him from Jessen and into the ground.

Even with his reinforced body, Arwin’s head rang. He rolled over, the world swimming above him as his ears rang. He only had two bracelets left that would be useful in the fight, and then he’d only have one trick remaining.

Odd combination for an item to have, really. How can you be both easy and hard to break? Odd indeed.

Arwin shoved himself to his feet, breathing heavily. The energy from the bracelet faded from his limbs, leaving him almost completely unable to stand on his own. His magical reserves were low and he could barely even still see straight. Jessen swam before him like he was standing behind a desert haze.

The Wyrm advanced toward him.

“Coward,” Arwin wheezed, glaring in Jessen’s direction.

“Victor,” Jessen corrected. “And I am not a coward for avoiding wasting time dirtying my hands with a mere smith. I enjoyed our game, Ifrit.”

“Did you?” Arwin asked, banishing his helm so he could look straight into Jessen’s eyes. “I recall winning at least one round. Only half a winner in my eyes. I hope you remember losing to a mere smith for the rest of your life.”

Jessen’s jaw clenched - and then he staggered. His eyes shot over Arwin’s shoulder. Arwin turned, then let out a bark of laughter. The Wyrm Jessen had sent after the others laid in a pool of blood on the ground, dead.

“No,” Jessen snarled. “How?”

“Let me correct myself,” Arwin said, summoning Verdant Blaze back to his hands. “That’s two rounds.”

Jessen snapped his fingers. The Wyrm leapt into the air and Arwin hurled himself to the side, just barely avoiding the monster’s tail as it whipped past him. It crashed to the ground behind them, then charged toward the others.

“You get your wish,” Jessen snarled, ripping his sword from the ground and stalking toward Arwin.  “Very well. I’ll finish you myself.”

Arwin’s hands tightened around the hilt of Verdant Blaze. His balance was off and he could barely even still stand, but this was the most instrumental part of the fight. Arwin’s nerves were so shot, but panic still built in his chest for the others.

Hold out just a little longer. Please.

Jessen stepped forward and swung his massive sword. Arwin let out a roar, swinging Verdant Blaze with all his might.

Instead of trying to dodge the blow, he stood fast. Jessen’s blade slammed into his shoulder, biting through his armor and digging into his skin. [Indomitable Bulwark] stopped the strike from carrying all the way through his arm, but a wave of pain slammed into Arwin.

That did nothing to stop Verdant Blaze’s path. With the sword momentarily stuck in Arwin’s armor, Jessen could do nothing to stop the hammer from striking — not him, but the hilt of his sword.

A loud crack split the clearing, followed by shattering metal. Fragments of Jessen’s blade flew everywhere and the guildmaster took a step back as the shockwave of the strike ran down the hilt of the sword and into his own injured shoulder.

Arwin dismissed his hammer. He grabbed the fragment of the sword embedded in his arm and ripped it free, tossing it to the side and gritting his teeth.

“No more weapons,” he spat.

Jessen smirked. He reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out a bone dagger.

Bone Dagger: Average Quality

[Splintered Wrath] (2 Charges): This item was forged from the flesh of a living gargoyle, imbuing it with hatred. It leaves a piece of itself behind with every strike to worm into its victim’s bloodstream and seek out their heart. After all charges have been consumed, this item’s magic will be fully depleted, and it will irreparably shatter.

“Speak for yourself — just because you don’t have enough energy to keep your weapons around doesn’t mean I didn’t bring a backup,” Jessen said with a cruel smile. “I’ll be returning your gift now. I hope you’ll accept.”

Finally.

Jessen stepped forward and drove the blade for Arwin’s neck. Arwin exploded into motion, throwing himself forward and straight into the blade’s path.

Then he activated [Arsenal].

The weapon vanished from Jessen’s hand and formed in his own as he plunged it down for the cracked opening in the other man’s shoulder. It bit home, scraping and shattering as it hit the edges of the hole.

Jessen’s fist crashed into Arwin’s chin an instant later, sending him reeling to the ground. The guildmaster ripped the dagger free, grinding his teeth. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath, then let it out slowly.

Then he smiled.

“You didn’t think I would carry a weapon like this around without certain precautions, would you?” Jessen asked, holding the blade up. “Nasty little thing. It’s not going to kill a high level Journeyman with just a single blow, though. My body is too resilient for that. Yours, on the other hand, is not.”

“Want to try stabbing me with it again?” Arwin asked, giving Jessen a bloody grin. “Your body is stronger, but it’s not immortal. What, are you using magical energy to use an ability that makes your body stronger in that area?”

The flicker of unease that passed over Jessen’s face was all Arwin needed to know that he’d guessed correctly. It wasn’t that much of a surprise for a high leveled Journeyman to have some form of boon that made his body harder to damage… but the fragment was still in him.

“All I have to do is stall you,” Arwin said. “As long as you can’t dig that out, you’re dead — and you better not lose concentration in the meantime.”

Jessen threw the dagger at him. Arwin summoned it back to his hand before it could connect. In the same motion, Jessen stepped forward and brought his arm down on Arwin’s wrist with enough force to shatter it, even through [Indomitable Bulwark].

The dagger spun from Arwin’s hand and Jessen grabbed him, wrapping his arms around Arwin’s neck.

“How’s the stalling going for you?” Jessen snarled, his grip tightening. [Indomitable Bulwark] worked in overtime as it desperately tried to keep Arwin’s esophagus from getting crushed, but it was a losing battle.

Arwin wheezed, grabbing at Jessen’s armor weakly with his good hand. Jessen laughed at the feeble attempt, doing nothing to stop him. Stars flashed in Arwin’s eyes and the world started to spin and darken.

Seconds ticked by agonizingly slowly. Each one felt like a millennia. Arwin forced his injured hand up. His vision shrank until the only thing he could still make out was Jessen’s sneering face.

With the last of his energy, Arwin flicked his hand. The last bracelet on it flew through the air in an arc that nearly missed his mouth, but he managed to bite down on it.

Metal Bracelet: Average Quality

[Toasty]: This item was made with such haste that it forgot to release some of the fire trapped within it. This item can grow hot at the cost of magical energy. Its wearer does not gain any resistances to its heat.

Jessen laughed in Arwin’s face. “Your class is interesting. I’ll enjoy seeing what you’ve got left on you — right after the life leaves your eyes and I finish with the rest of my harvest.”

The remains of the bracelet fell to the ground before Arwin. His head pounded violently and his body started to warm. He bared his teeth, his other hand still resting on Jessen’s armor.

Then he activated [Arsenal]. The temporary binding to the bone dagger snapped as Arwin established a new one to Jessen’s breastplate. It vanished with a pop. Jessen’s expression flickered with surprise for a brief instant.

A surprised hiss of pain slipped out of his mouth as Arwin’s skin heated further, going from just warm to molten as Arwin pumped every drop of magical energy he had into the trait he’d taken from the bracelet.

Jessen yanked his hands back — and Arwin threw himself forward, wrapping himself around Jessen like a lovestruck monkey. Jessen screamed in pain as the smell of burnt hair and cooking meat filled the air.

He thrashed, raining blows into Arwin’s body, but Arwin refused to let go. He clung to Jessen desperately. Pain ripped through Arwin’s hand broken wrist as he shoved a hand into the bag at his side and ripped out a small orb.

[Portable Molt] – A vial stuffed full of magma and sealed with magic… but not very well.

Jessen managed to get a grip on Arwin, using his gauntleted hands to pry him back. For an instant, the two of them locked eyes. Jessen’s face was scorched and his cracked lips pulled back into a furious snarl. Somehow, he’d managed to maintain his concentration.

“May Hell be a thousand times hotter than this,” Arwin snarled.

He slammed the orb into Jessen’s mouth.

It shattered. Jessen’s eyes went wide and his scream turned into a garbled hiss as lava poured out of his mouth and into his body. Arwin shoved himself away from the guildmaster, staggering and falling to the ground.

A wretched hissing filled the air. Jessen desperately clawed at his face, but it was pure lava already inside his body. Even if he could have somehow survived it, his concentration couldn’t. One of his hands shot to his chest.

Jessen’s scream was lost to the molten rock as flames rose up from his mouth and raced across his body, lighting him up like a candlestick. He took a lurching step toward Arwin, somehow still moving despite all the damage he had taken.

Then Jessen pitched forward and crashed to the ground, lying in a smoldering heap.

Chapter 146

Reya stared at the body of the dead Wyrm. The information her eyes were telling her wasn’t registering with her brain. The monster had just… keeled over and died — and it hadn’t been a pretty death.

“Oh shit,” Olive said. She elbowed Reya gently in the side to grab her attention. “We’ve got another one coming, Reya. And I don’t think this one is dancing at death’s door.”

Reya glanced in the direction Olve was looking and her heart caught in her throat. Olive had summarized the situation pretty well. Jessen’s second Wyrm was charging straight toward them.

Before she could even say anything, Rodrick sprinted past her, a tendril of shadow trailing behind him. He skidded to a stop a dozen paces in front of them and waved his hands wildly.

“Over here, you big ugly lump!” Rodrick yelled.

His plan worked; possibly better than he’d been expecting. The Wyrm lunged, its huge jaws daring out with terrifying speed to snap shut on him. Rodrick let out a strangled curse as the tendril of shadow went taut and yanked him back. He skidded across the ground, stumbling over his own feet, but managed to keep his balance.

He raised his sword and pointed it at the Wyrm, baring his teeth in a grin. “Ha. What do you think of—”

The Wyrm’s tail whipped for Rodrick and the tendril of shadow cracked like a whip. Rodrick was launched into the air amid a slew of curses. He spun his hands, righting himself and grabbing onto the tendril as it released him. The former paladin slid down it, landing on the ground with a grunt as the tendril re-attached to his back.

“Now that’s not a fighting style I thought I’d ever see,” Olive said in a mixture of disbelief and awe.

Reya herself was unable to respond. She couldn’t place why, but her attention kept getting pulled back to the dead wyrm’s corpse. Something about it was calling to her. That was already concerning enough. Thinking about dead bodies with any amount of desire was never a good thing.

Thinking about corpses when she was roughly a minute away from becoming one was worse. If anything, the feeling was growing stronger. It was a deep gnawing in her stomach that would not be denied.

“Olive, I need to borrow your sword.”

“What?” Olive demanded. “I need to help—”

“Please,” Reya begged. “I don’t have time to explain. I need it.”

Olive thrust the blade into Reya’s hands. She grabbed it and sprinted for the dead monster, not wasting an instant on words. Reya skidded to a stop beside the Wyrm, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste.

The feeling was growing more and more intense with every passing second. The longer she spent away from the monster’s body, the more it grew. There was something that belonged to her within it.

She jabbed the blade into the monster’s side — and it rang off with a loud clang. Alive or dead, the Wyrm was still a Wyrm. Reya lifted the sword, but before she could swing it, Olive’s hand wrapped over her own.

“You need this cut open?” Olive asked.

Reya nodded desperately. Olive took the sword from Reya’s hands and held it before her. Then she brought it down.

Its tip traced through the air like it was moving through molasses. It crept down and connected with the Wyrm’s scales. They cracked and snapped, shattering beneath the impossibly slow strike.

Olive’s blow carried through, digging deep into the dead Wyrm’s body. She ripped the sword free and shot a doubtful look at Reya. “Okay. What did you—”

Reya thrust her hands into the monster’s flesh. Blood burst from it, soaking her arms and spraying across her chest. Olive gagged and took a step back. Her confusion was quickly replaced with concern.

“Reya, are you okay? Did you get hit with mind control? Resist it!”

“I’m fine. Forget about me, just help Rodrick.” Reya desperately dug through the monster’s ropy muscle. It was like trying to punch wet sand, but she didn’t care. She dug through the creature’s flesh, thrusting her hands deeper into its body and creating memories that she had no doubt would haunt her for years to come.

Another string of curses rang through the air. Out of the corner of her eye, Reya spotted Rodrick sailing through the air. A ramp of shadows materialized beneath him and he hit it with a pained grunt, rolling all the way until he hit the ground.

He staggered to his feet and spotted Reya as she went elbow deep into the gushing wound in the Wyrm’s side.

“What the fuck?”

“Just trust her!” Olive yelled. “Wyrm coming!”

Rodrick swore again and ran to join Olive. Tendrils of darkness followed after them, fastening to both of their backs. Reya pulled her attention from the fight and back to the grisly task at hand.

She still hadn’t even figured out why it was at hand, but the mental command was too intense to ignore. Her hands pressed against muscle and her fingers worked. They didn’t know for what they searched for, but still they searched.

Her desperate moves drove her arm up against bone. It cut into her arm and she hissed in pain as her blood mixed with the Wyrm’s. Reya didn’t even want to think about what diseases that could cause, but even that wasn’t enough to stop her.

Something touched her fingertip — something that was neither flesh nor bone. A jolt of freezing cold energy raced down her arm and into her chest. Reya locked in place, midway through drawing in a sharp gasp.

Then she thrust herself forward, plunging into the wyrm all the way up to her shoulder. Blood poured down her body and soaked into her clothes. She stretched her fingers, pressing against the flesh in her way.

Something met her hand. A metal bar, rough and shoddy. The back of Reya’s neck prickled and the chill expanded to pass over her entire body. It was a hilt. A familiar one.

“My dagger,” Reya breathed. It had remained lodged within the Wyrm ever since the monster had stolen it from her. Fear and embarrassment intermixed.

She’d been digging through a monster’s corpse because she’d somehow instinctively known that a dagger that she’d really liked had been inside it. Sure, the blade had an incredible magical property, but it was nowhere near important enough to turn her back on the fight for. It wasn’t that important.

That was what Reya should have felt. It wasn’t what she did feel. It may have just been nothing more than a weapon, but it had been the first thing Arwin had made her. It had been a promise of a better life. A life without running. A life she could actually live.

No matter how relatively unimportant the dagger was, it was hers. And, for some reason, it had been calling to her.

Her fingers closed around the hilt.

A thrum ran through her hand as if someone had struck the blade with a hammer. She nearly lost her grip on it but managed to hold fast. Reya tugged on it, but it was lodged fast inside the dead Wyrm.

She gritted her teeth and pulled again. She leaned back with all her might and braced a foot against the Wyrm’s body. Blood already covered the entirety of her upper body, so there was no point being shy about ruining the rest of her clothes.

Reya pulled again and something shifted. The dagger started to move. She leaned forward, then threw herself back with all the might she could muster. Blood sprayed as she ripped the dagger free from its fleshy prison.

As if Reya had shattered a dam, blood burst from the wound in a massive river. It slammed into her feet and nearly knocked her off her balance — but it didn’t continue past her. She let out a terrified yelp as the rushing river of red coursed up her body and wound into the dagger in the palm of her hand.

The Wyrm’s body seemed to wither before her as the blade drank from it. Its scales turned lackluster and shrank as its muscles were drained. Gallons upon gallons of blood pumped out of it. Reya tried to drop the dagger, but her hand was locked around it as if in rigor mortis.

The sounds of fighting in the distance grew muted as if she were under water. Everything but the dagger and the Wyrm shrank away from her vision. Time slowed to a crawl, and the thump of her heart sounded like a hammering drum in her ears.

Her entire body locked in place. A heartbeat passed. Two.

Then time snapped back to normal. Blood splattered down all around her and the dagger in her hand glistened, painted a deep ruby red. And then it purred.

There was no other word for it. A dull warmth washed over her from the blade, wrapping around her body like a comforting hug. Reya stared at the dagger in her hand in disbelief as golden swirls poured out of it and the Mesh made itself known.

Wyrmhunger: Poor Quality[?]

[Awoken]: This item has taken on life of its own. With every death it causes, it will grow slightly more powerful. Its wielder has been chosen.

[The Promise]: Forged from scrap and gifted to a street rat, this blade was never destined for greatness. It was the symbol of a promise. A promise stolen by a Wyrm. For one with nothing, a promise was all it had, and so it was in blood that Wyrmhunger was — and will be — forged.

[Insatiable]: Wyrmhunger learned hunger from its smith and took on a taste for draconic flesh that may never be quenched. It seeks more — and it does not mask its desire.

The Mesh faded away. Reya stood, the blade aloft and drenched in blood from head to toe. She let her hand lower. The sounds of battle had come to a stop. Her stomach clenched and she spun.

Rodrick and Olive stood before her, their blades drawn and breath coming in ragged gasps. The Wyrm was before them, locked in place as if unable to believe its own eyes. Behind it rested Jessen’s body, burnt and smoldering. Arwin knelt swaying beside it, his head craned back to stare into the heavens.

The Wyrm’s gaze lowered to look straight at Reya. Its eyes had lost their pink hue, and there was an animal intelligence deep within them. They were the eyes of a predator. Wyrmhunger shuddered in Reya’s hands.

Not in fear, but in excitement. Power roiled off the weapon and soaked into her skin. She felt it pump through her body. It wasn’t just the blade’s hunger. It was their hunger. Reya took a step forward, barely even aware of what her body was doing.

And, to her disbelief, the Wyrm balked. It lowered itself, backing away from Rodrick and Olive. The huge monster took one last look at the body of its mate beside Reya. Then it turned and lumbered into the forest.

A second of silence ruled over the clearing. It mixed with the stench of death and blood, remaining unbroken until Anna burst from the darkness. Blood splattered beneath her feet as she ran out, extending her hands toward Arwin.

Golden energy washed out from them and swirled through the air, pouring into his body. Anna didn’t wait to see its effect. She spun to Reya, horror mapped on her features.

“I’m fine,” Reya said hurriedly, holding her hands up. “It’s not mine.”

Anna ignored her. She grabbed Reya’s shoulders and poured a wave of healing light into her. The wounds on her arms knitted closed and she breathed a sigh of relief. Anna didn’t stick around to see it. She was already on to Olive and Rodrick, checking to make sure they weren’t severely wounded.

The world felt lighter than it should have. Reya blinked furiously and squinted at Wyrmhunger. She was too tired to think properly. All she could do was stare. And, as if the Mesh itself took that as a challenge, a flicker of gold danced before Reya’s eyes.

Challenge: [Blood for the Blade] has been initiated.

[Blood for the Blade] – A weapon, driven by its connection to you, has pushed beyond its limits and become more. But, in becoming more, it is no longer the mere blade that you once wielded. Discover a way to master the Wyrmhunger’s power.  Rewards: Unlock Wyrmhunger’s power to wield as you see fit. Failure to complete the Challenge will result in Wyrmhunger choosing a new wielder.

Milestone 1: Reunite with Wyrmhunger

Reward 1: Wyrmhunger

Milestone 2: Master Wyrmhunger

Reward 2: Full power over Wyrmhunger

“Huh,” Reya said, her voice tinny and distant to her own ears. “So that’s what a Challenge is.”

Then she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.