A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands

Book 1: Chapter 43: The Soot Stained Pig

It is a fact that true malevolence weaves its way through the delicate balance of intentions, both virtuous and vicious. Let us not deceive ourselves, for it is essential to acknowledge that such wrongdoing is unequivocally wrong.

- The Just Realm, by Gideon de Salavia 368 AC.

Soon enough, we were able to find our way to the Soot Stained Pig. It was a medium building, two stories tall, and constructed from large blocks of locally quarried white alabaster stone. A cast-iron sign hung over the entrance, depicting a large black pig with an anvil in the background and the unoiled hinges squeaked in the breeze. The sounds of the forge could be heard coming from within, rising above the general hubbub of the city.

We entered the shop, the clanging of metal on metal filled our ears and drowned out the sound of the heavy wooden doors that closed behind us. The air was thick with the heat of the forge, and we could already feel the sweat beginning to bead on our foreheads. Our eyes were immediately drawn to the woman at the anvil, her full figure commanding our male attention as she rhythmically hammered away at a bar of red-hot steel. Her concentration was fierce, her brow furrowed in concentration and her hair was slick with sweat and pulled back into a simple ponytail. Tilted coal-black eyes peered out from an oval face at the work in front of her. We stood there, unnoticed, as she deftly picked up the piece of steel with her tongs and quenched it in a liquid that glistened like oil. She did not notice or acknowledge us, as she was completely focused on her craft.

In the presence of a master at her craft, Kidu and I held our tongues in respectful silence. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to observe our surroundings. Weapon racks lined the walls, filled with an array of vicious battlefield implements. In glass cases, delicate and ornate items encrusted with jewels and other precious stones were on display. The establishment boasted a varied collection of arms and armor, from the simplest of bronze daggers to a masterfully crafted, fully articulated set of plate armor. The armor was a true marvel, a work of art that appeared as if it had been sculpted out of flowing steel.

After finishing her task, she set down the tongs and placed her gloved hands on her generous hips. Looking Kidu up and down, she greeted us with a smile on her lips. A single delicate eyebrow arched in curiosity as she asked in an alto voice, whose timbre resonated with the heat of the forge, "Do you see something you like?"

As I lifted off my helmet, I stumbled over my own tongue, struggling to find the words. "Devon vouched for this establishment and suggested we seek out a certain Cillis Aideh for a fair price. Our aim is to barter a few items, yet primarily to purchase," I managed to blurt out.

The woman's amusement was clear as she surveyed us, laughter sparkling in her eyes. "Cillis Aideh at your service. That wily old scoundrel still breathes, I see. I fear his fondness for liquor and games of chance will lead him across the Shallow River one day, but I can't fault him for bringing me trade. So, what can I do for you?" she inquired, her tone becoming all business.

“I was wondering if I could trade this in for perhaps a new one of iron or steel?” I asked her, holding out my helm.

“Open or closed?” she countered simply in return.

“I beg your pardon?” I stuttered, little at loss for words, not understanding the context.

“Helm,” she responded, rolling her eyes and tapping at her head.

A blush crept across my cheeks as I weakly answered, “What would you recommend for my companion and me?” I looked to Kidu, whose gaze was still roaming over the items on display.

“Hmm,” she paused, crossing her arms in thought, “Closed be a bit harder to breathe in, can’t see as well either. But I’d still recommend one if you're going to be getting into lots of scraps. A visored helm would probably give you best of both worlds, but that’ll cost you a pretty penny, and they can be a devil to maintain in the field.”

“To be honest, madam...” I began again, before being interrupted.

“No need for a madam, I’m not that old yet,” she interjected brusquely, a slight edge to her voice.

"Well, yes, Ms. Aideh, we have a budget of about four gold between us," I stated simply, hoping that Elwin could procure more money for us from the sale of our other loot. "We both need to be fully equipped, and we can trade these," I said, spreading out the Laur hide, two spare Zajasite stones, two pairs of Echo-Stalker weapon claws from the drones, and my Echo-Stalker scythe daggers. A little hesitantly, I also placed my simple length of iron chain on the counter of the shop.

Cillis surveyed our wares, her delicate lips pursed in contemplation as she caressed the scythe daggers. "A rare find, these Echo-Stalker claws from the deep places. Exotic. There must be a demand for them somewhere, but I'm not sure where to begin. I can offer four silver for the smaller ones and six for each of these daggers if you're willing to take store credit. Three and five if you need the coin now," she mused, slipping off one of her gloves and tracing her fingers sensually over the animal hide. "This Laur hide is a beauty, a Tree-Laur, if I'm not mistaken. My husband, Khisam, could fashion something splendid with it. I'll throw in another silver for it. As for the Zajasite stones, they're of low quality, so I can offer five copper each, and three for the chain as scrap. Just because the big chunk of muscles here is easy on the eyes," she beamed, wiping her face with the back of her hand, which left another trail of lingering black. I could not help but notice the playful way she looked at Kidu.

"Khisam!" she bellowed, turning her back to us and hollering up the stairs. "I need your help with some fittings!"

*

Following the smith's advice, I bought a second-hand visored steel sallet with a sturdy bevor, as well as the heaviest leather and steel brigandine they had that could be easily fitted. Black canvas was riveted onto the plates of the brigandine, and the armor also came with a cloth gambeson that had butted mail attached and sewn across the arms. For leg armor, I chose simple iron greaves with chainmail leggings. I would have to keep my leather gloves for the time being, as I simply did not have the budget for new gauntlets. Also, a further loss of dexterous motion might prove fatal in a future conflict.

I attempted to persuade the smith to craft a flail out of the chains I had placed on the table, but she found the whole notion absurd. Instead, still perplexed by my choice of weapon, she proffered me a reasonably priced spiked iron flail that exuded a menacing aura, paired with a basic kite shield that I could easily sling over my shoulder.

The pommel of the weapon bore a sharp spike, while at the juncture where the chain met the handle, heavy flanges of iron construction were affixed, enabling the weapon to also function as a simple mace. The ball of the flail was forged of heavy metal, had five small spikes on its rough surface, and was attached to the handle of the weapon by a short heavy chain. The smith promised to later teach me the basics of its use for another two bronze.

I also decided to buy an old leather sword belt that sported a bronze buckle, as well as hooks for suspending weapons and gear. In addition, I procured a set of three well-balanced throwing knives. As a final touch, I exchanged my looted shortsword for a parrying dagger. The dagger was marked down due to it being one of her apprentice's initial works, and its quality was uncertain. However, it was an eye-catching piece.

The weapon bore a striking resemblance to a 15th-century blade, with recurved bronze quillons that angled slightly upwards towards the blade. A groove at the base of one side of the blade permitted the thumb to obtain a firmer grip, while a shallow fuller ran across half of its short length. The blade itself seemed to emulate a lethal serpent in motion. Upon observing my inquisitive expression, Cillis divulged that the ripples in the blade were designed to weaken the impact of a strike against the weapon and slow down an adversary's blade.

A slender man descended the stairs, stumbling over his own feet as he struggled to carry various items. This could only be Khisam, I mused to myself.

Khisam was a shrew of a man, and I found myself perplexed by his match with Cillis. Despite his relative youth, he had begun to bald well before his time. His furtive nature, slightly hunched back, and large bespectacled eyes only added to his shrew-like countenance. He followed his wife’s orders almost without question and with almost mechanical efficiency, his hands a whirlwind of activity as he fitted my gear to me, occasionally informing his wife of my measurements.

The raven-haired woman took her time teaching me how to properly equip my arms and armor, as well as how to maintain them. Her hands provocatively lingered a little too long in places, doing so in front of her husband, as if she enjoyed the thrill. She also, with much amusement at my expense, showed me how I could relieve myself when fully armored.I was relieved to discover that my gear, though weighty, was not as unwieldy as depictions in contemporary media had led me to believe. Adorned in thick layers of leather and sturdy metal, I felt considerably more secure.

Kidu, after much consideration, settled on a scale mail cuirass and chainmail protection for his arms and legs. He was adamant about not wearing a closed helm, citing the importance of his senses in combat. However, after some persuasion, he agreed to don a chainmail coif. Instead of a shield, he opted for a thick steel gauntlet, complete with articulated fingers and metal plates covering his arms. Cillis referred to it as a ‘Shield-Gauntlet,' and it brought to mind the fierce Murmillos of ancient Rome. For his weapon, with great reluctance, he exchanged his old one for a steel boar spear, with small iron lugs that sprouted underneath a long leaf-shaped blade that ended in a sharp tip.

It would take some time for Khisam to make the necessary adjustments for Kidu's large size, so Cillis invited me to the back of her smithy where I found a small open area surrounded by a fence.

Approaching a straw training dummy, she turned around to give me a dazzling smile and began her instruction, "Now, I would be a poor smith indeed if I didn't understand how to use the tools that I make. Make no mistake, boy, these are tools and nothing more. The flail is a difficult weapon to master and lacks a little power, because you can't put your full weight behind it. But it's a tricky thing, the flail, capable of wrapping around someone's guard or letting you attack from a different angle. Now, remember when you hit a solid target, you'll need to follow through..."

*

I didn’t know whether it was my single point of proficiency in Flails, my higher Dexterity, or the combined experience from all of my fights until now, but Cillis' instruction came easily to me. She pointed out flaws in my stance with a whisper close to my ear, warning me to always keep my shield up and not rely on my weapon for defense, as one would with a sword. After what felt like hours of training, the world finally informed me that I had gained in skill.

I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t had an increase in attribute points, but still pleased that I had made some martial progress. Though nowhere near a hardened warrior of legend, I felt I had at least begun to take the first tentative steps on that path. Emboldened by my recent achievement, I turned to the attractive, raven-haired smith with a playful grin.

“So you and Khisam, how come you two...” I began, before she silenced me with a finger to my lips.

“I’d prefer the big man, but you’ll do. Don’t worry, my husband likes to be jealous. It adds spice to our partnership,” she said in a bold sultry voice, filled with sensuous promise, as she led me by the hand to a tool shed in the corner of the yard.

We rutted like animals, heavy and hard, shaking the timber frames of the shed. She bit down on a piece of rawhide leather to muffle the sounds of our coupling, as I spilled my pent-up seed deep inside her. When we were finished, short minutes later, she washed where we had been briefly joined, drawing cold water from a cistern without a care in the world for modesty, as if nothing had happened between us.

I couldn’t help feeling that it was me that had been used. I felt a little emasculated as we joined the others back in the shop. It seemed that in this world, I could feel the whole gamut of human sensations. and that thankfully included pleasure.

Kidu looked odd, his neat and ordered gear now adjusted to his size, at odds with his rugged form. I paid Cillis for her time, training, and goods. In a weak voice tinged with guilt, I promised to return if we had any more purchases to make in the future, but could barely meet her eyes. Almost as a parting gift, Cillis even recommended a stall in the market to acquire archery gear for Kidu.

We left the store a little hastily, my embarrassment and shame giving flight to my retreat from the store.

Character Status;

STATUS

SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.2) Power Strike (lvl.2) 10 Endure (lvl.3) Stealth (lvl.1) Rest (lvl.3) Backstab (lvl.2) Dodge (lvl.3) Polearms (lvl.2) Dual Wield (lvl.2) Critical Hit Mastery (lvl.2) Mining (lvl.2) Unarmed Combat (lvl.3) Hammers (lvl.2) Flails (lvl.2) Maces (lvl.1) Shields (lvl.1) Medium Armour (lvl.1) Heavy Armour (lvl.1) Axes (lvl.1) Daggers (lvl.2)

Throwing Weapons (lvl.2)

SPELLS & MAGIC

Rust (lvl.3) 1-2

Identify (lvl.2) 1

Silent Casting (lvl.1)

Mana Regeneration (lvl.2)

Purify (lvl.2) 3

Greater Heal (lvl.1) 10

Holy Aura (lvl.1) 2

Decay (lvl.1)

Drain (lvl.2) 2

Entropic Aura (lvl.2) 2

GIFTS