Chapter 105: Contemplating weapons

Chapter 105: Contemplating weapons

That question was easier asked than answered. Arwin was trained with most weapons, but Verdant Blaze covered just about all his needs for close quarters combat. The crystal was also enormous. He couldn’t stick it onto a dagger. Anything that held it would have to be huge.

He didn’t really want to make a large sword or another hammer. They’d probably work, but it felt like a waste. Neither would give him as much benefit as a completely new piece and anything he made would likely take on a portion of the crystal’s powers.

To be honest, even if I can contain the crystal’s magic to keep it from affecting me, I don’t know if I’d want its power anywhere close. Maybe this would be better as some form of throwing weapon? I could bind to it with Arsenal and reuse it.

Arwin paced in circles around his anvil as he thought. A throwing weapon definitely had potential. The crystal was unwieldy and heavy, but he could use [Scourge] to fling whatever it ended up in.

Maybe a javelin or a spear? But I’m really not all that accurate with those. I could throw them, sure, but I don’t know how often I’d actually hit my target. It would be much better if I had a...

“A bow,” Arwin muttered, his eyes lighting up. “That’s it. I’ll make it part of a bow. It would have to be one big bloody bow, but [Scourge] would let me draw the string. It wouldn’t be the first time I used a bow, and I’m a decent shot with them. Adapting to such a large weapon might be difficult, but it’s better in the long term.”

Arwin nodded to himself as he spoke. The longer he thought about it, the more promising the idea seemed. Any magical effects the crystal had would likely get transferred into its arrows rather than affecting the wielder.

It would give him a way to study the crystal and what it did without putting himself or anyone else at too much risk. All he had to do was figure out how to actually make a bow. He wasn’t about to do it out of wood. That would have required a bit more skill than he had with the material – and it wasn’t like he could forge a tree trunk.

If I use a flexible metal like Brightsteel, I could make the bow bendable. I’d have to use a lot of it, but it would be basically unusable unless I’m using [Scourge]. I suppose that was always the plan, though.

Brightsteel could make up a portion of it, but he’d need more than that. A string, for starters. Something that could handle the enormous draw weight of what he was planning. That wouldn’t be cheap.

Beyond that, there would need to be parts of the bow made from a harder material that could withstand the string dragging across them.

I’ll need an arm guard as well. If I don’t have one, I’ll chop my arm off on accident when I shoot my first arrow. First things first. I need to see what I have to work with.

Arwin’s pacing slowed to a stop. He put the crystal back into his bag and took out the foul-smelling metal that he’d taken from the Rot Giantling. It smelled just as bad as it always had, but it was the hardest metal he had.

I wish I had something better to scrape with than just my bare hands. I don’t think Brightsteel would work too well against this, though. It would just end up bending. Ah, I know.

Arwin took a second piece of metal out of his bag. They were both covered with crud – but the film on top of them wasn’t going to be anywhere near as hard as the metal itself. He braced one piece against his anvil and got to work scraping away at it with the other.

It was slow and tedious work. Even with [Scourge], Arwin felt like he was making almost no progress. The only thing that kept him going were the strips of trash that reluctantly peeled back and fell away.

Hours slipped away. Arwin’s back streaked with sweat and his muscles burned as the repetitive motion worked its way into him, dragging claws of weariness through his being. If it had been even the slightest bit exciting, it might not have been that bad.

It wasn’t. The scrape of metal grated against his ears and the foul smell remained an ever-present annoyance in his nostrils. But, with every scrape, more metal was freed from its ancient confines.

A faint ocean blue rippled like waves beneath the grime and buildup. Arwin worked faster once he had an end in sight, and he was finally rewarded with a fully cleaned sheet of metal by the time the end of the day came around.

He set the piece he’d been using to scrape it aside – some of the metal on it had been exposed, but he didn’t have the motivation to clean it as well. Arwin brushed the pile of rancid shavings over to the corner of his shop, then held up the fruits of his labor.

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“Really? I thought you were just keeping me company. I thought you didn’t really need food.”

“I don’t, but it doesn’t hurt when it tastes good.”

“I think those squid tentacles might have.”

“They were perfectly fine. You’re just being overly critical of yourself.”

Lillia pierced Arwin with a stare that told him she didn’t believe a single word coming out of his mouth. A small grin pulled across her lips and she shook her head, rising out of her chair and brushing past him as she headed toward the kitchen. “Come on.”

“We’re not eating out here?”

“No. I want to turn the light out.” Lillia stopped beneath the lantern and reached up to it. “And the magical shade in my room mutes sound. It’ll make sure that nobody wakes up from us talking.”

Arwin shrugged and joined her. She reached up to the lantern and snuffed the candle out. Her hand found his wrist a moment later and she guided him through the darkness. Lillia’s hand caught his shoulder a few steps later.

“Careful,” she whispered.

“What? I can’t see where I’m going. Did I almost hit something?”

“The doorframe,” Lillia replied. Arwin’s foot nudged into the hay that made up her bed and she gave his wrist a small tug. “You can sit down. I’ve got the food waiting. I made these so they’d still be good cold.”

She put what felt like a sandwich into Arwin’s hands, then sat down beside him. He lifted it to his lips and sniffed at it. It was a strange feeling to be about to eat something that he couldn’t even see.

“Is this a sandwich?” Arwin asked.

“Yeah. Meat, cheese, and oil. Not exactly fancy, but I’ve been devouring them today. They’re pretty good. I think they are, at least.”

Arwin took a bite out of his meal. He chewed silently for a few seconds before swallowing. She was right. The sandwich tasted great. It was plain, but all the ingredients held their own and melded into a perfect mix of flavors.

“It’s really good.”

“Thanks. I’m going to try to make a menu for the inn soon. Get signs for the front and everything. I still need a name and the like. Once I figure one out, I’ll get everything made.” Lillia’s shoulder brushed against Arwin’s and she leaned against him.

“Any ideas for one yet?” Arwin tried not to pay attention to her hair tickling the side of his neck.

“No. Not yet.” The smile in Lillia’s voice was evident. “But that can wait for tomorrow. I don’t really want to do anything other than sit here right now.”

“Yeah.” Arwin took another bite out of his sandwich and smiled. “Me too.”