Chapter 296

Chapter 296

Kai and Erik had expanded since my last visit. Open forges created a billowing heat that flowed outward, jumping the temperature at least twenty degrees from the silo's room temp. Several apprentice smiths, enchanters, and artificers attended various projects behind the open counter. Kai was dressing one such artificer down, his high-pitched voice and colorful language barely audible over the din of metal and buzzing of magic.

Erik was leaning forward on the counter, burly arms crossed beneath him, crumpling his black apron. His gaze shifted between me and the crowd outside the glass windows with a mix of caution and curiosity. "Busy morning?" he asked gruffly.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Looks like you guys stepped it up a notch." I looked around in quiet approval. "Several, for that matter. Business that good?"

Erik kneaded his forehead tiredly. "Steady. Been up to our necks in commissions for a few weeks now, hence the extra help. Trying to get them out before the transposition." Suddenly, seeming to remember that I was a customer, he straightened up. "Yours are more or less ready to go."

"More or less?"

"Aye. But it being a prototype, new design and all, I'd like a few more days to tinker if I'm honest."

"And a few days from now, you'll want a few more." Kai called over as he approached the counter, his flowing, colorful robes clashing with his surly expression. He crossed his arms and looked at me, then seemed to finally notice the commotion outside. "Can I get that loaner back—what the fuck is happening? What are they all doing? Is that a shoe?"

Before anyone could respond, Kai was already around the counter and peeking his head out the door, looking up at where the rogue user was still hanging. After a moment he retreated, slowly closing the door and peering at Erik. "I've been bitching about aesthetic for weeks now, but now I really have to put my foot down. Why is there a human piñata decorating our shop?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Erik brush his fingers horizontally across his throat.

"What does this mean?" Kai repeated the same gesture back, unimpressed.

Annoyed, Erik thumped a fist onto the counter. "It means whatever happens outside the shop is none of our business."

"And if it's hanging above the shop?"

I blew out air. "The guy tried to stab me, I threw him off the third floor. Used the rope so he didn't make a mess." Casually, I glanced over my shoulder. The crowd had moved back some to make room as someone placed a ladder down, while someone else tested the stability of the bottom step, then began to climb.

"Oh." Kai tilted his head from side to side, then raised a hand and made a thrusting motion. "Why didn't you just stab him back?"

"Kai—" Erik hissed.

"Like I said, didn't want to make a mess." I pulled the out of my inventory and tossed it to Kai, who caught it, a brief squeak of surprise quickly silenced. "Assuming you've got a knife for me along with everything else, here's the loaner back."

"I'm willing." Generous as all this appeared, I wasn't born yesterday. "Guessing you guys are still looking for a way out?"

They shared a look and nodded.

"It's not... urgent, exactly," Kai answered haltingly. "No one's strong-arming us the way they used to, but the vibes around here? Well..."

"The sooner the better," Erik murmured.

"Okay." I clapped my hands together. "Let's see what you've got. If it's good, I'll see what I can do."

"If it's good? Prepare to eat your heart out." Kai rolled his eyes, gesturing for me to follow.

Past the series of forges and several immersion tanks with various luminescent elements, the smith's storage area had been expanded. Approximately half of what was once a basic stockroom had been blown out through carved stone, the new half doubling as a testing area complete with mannequins, padded targets, striking posts, and the dangling ropes and pulleys of various tension mechanisms I could only assume measured flexibility and resilience. The room itself was sequestered from the open format of the rest of the smith, an armored door secured with a series of complex locks that were at least partially magical in nature.

"So," Erik's eyes flashed with anticipation. "Between the armor and weapons, where would you like to start?"

I raised an eyebrow. I'd placed the second order nearly two weeks after the original commission for the weapons. "I assumed the armor wouldn't be ready yet."

He grunted, a pep in his step as he placed a large box on a wide, sturdy table, and wheeled over a mannequin with a rolling base, covered in a sheet. "Frustrating as it is to admit, the armor you brought in for alterations was already solid. There wasn't much room for improvement beyond the modifications, though we did manage a few notable improvements. It didn't take long."

"The silhouette—"

"Was the biggest issue, we remember," Kai called over. He'd busied himself working on something out of view beneath a nearby shelf, hands glowing as he made adjustments to the box below. Possibly the knife. "Trust me, you'll be happy with the results."

"Enchanting aside, Kai's an artist with a needle," Erik agreed with the sort of easy confidence that was difficult to fake.

"I guess we should start with the original commission. The weapons." I mused. My original issue wasn't an easy one to solve. was an invaluable ambush skill in almost any combat encounter at close to medium range. The problem was, I generally preferred engaging at range, and typically did so. If whatever I was shooting at survived the initial volley and closed range, my ranged weapons often already needed to be reloaded, forcing me into melee. My initial, more economical idea was to sacrifice inventory space and simply buy cheap crossbows to rotate through. An idea the blacksmith had talked me out of. Now, I was curious to see what he'd come up with.

Erik grinned. And opened the box.