Chapter 9

Red Pin

On the sixth day of their training, Iris took the children to a smithy in the Market District. The sign of a two-headed goat hung over the door. A man stood behind the counter, sharpening a heavy axe. The scratching of a slick blade on a stone caught Grey's attention.

"Ah? Customers?" said the blacksmith, wiping the oil from his hands. He placed the axe on the corner, near the shelf, and stood up to greet them. "What can I get for you?"

"I need an discerning eye for this," said Iris, placing the sword and shield on the table. They were the weapons that Oswin had picked up from the sewers. The blacksmith took off his gloves, and gently held the sword at the hilt.

"The make is Maltes. Likely made in the fifth era. The designs on the blade give that away. It has flowery inlay near the base of the hilt. Maltes liked those sort of things."

He gripped the sword, and gave it a swing.

"Also, light on the hands. Quick slashing movements. Definitely their style."

"Any properties?"

The blacksmith took the weapon near the back, and held it up to a blue crystal. The magic glowed for a moment, and then disappeared.

"None that I can tell. It does have a socket for a skill gem in the base of the hilt. See right here?"

He handed the sword back to Iris and pointed to a missing gem at the base of the hilt.

"Must have gotten torn off in a fight. Blade marks near the socket indicate a heavy weapon knocked it loose. Probably an two-handed axe. Surprised you were able to find one in this condition. Most end up brittle after a few years."

Iris nodded, and inspected the missing gem piece. She placed the sword back on the table.

"And the shield?"

"Ah, now this is...."

He hesitated. There was a dragon engraved at the base of the shield. Many shields had dragons, but this one was...shaped more like a snake instead of a lizard. Had it not been breathing fire, he would have guessed it was a Jade Viper. The blacksmith took a metal rod from underneath the counter.

"Do you mind if I check the material?"

"You may."

He lightly tapped the edge of the shield where the metal rims were the thickest. Grey could hear a note every time the blacksmith struck a different part of a shield. If he listened closer, the notes sounded almost like dungeon music.

"It's not a metal. Made by monster bones. Don't know what kind. You would need a priestess to tell you that."

"Thank you."

Iris took out her coin bag and left a few copper pieces onto the table.

"It was my pleasure." He took the coin and nodded towards the weapons rack on the wall. "Are you looking for anything else? A new staff perhaps?"

Iris looked around. The average quality staves were kept in a bundle in a barrel. The better staves, ones fitted with magic crystals, were tied to the wall with heavy chains to prevent theft.

"I am looking for weapons for these children. They are under my care, and will be fighting monsters for the guild."

"These children are adventurers?" said the man, astonished.

Monsters were creatures far beyond any mortal man. Indeed, even the weakest one could kill a trained soldier much less a child.

"They no older than my son! I don't believe it!"

"Believe what you like," smiled Iris, "We will need those weapons. Here or some other shop if you are not convinced."

"No, I will show you," said the man.

The man took them to weapon display on the right side of the shop. This display held daggers, swords, and an exotic variety of hidden weapons.

"They call them butterfly knives," said the man, pointing to the pair of knives. "You can connect them at the base of the hilt so that they may be used like a pair of scissors. They get their name from the shape they make when joined. Hard to use in battle, but their small size makes them easy to hide underneath your shirt."

"And that one," said Oswin, looking at a stick hanging from the wall. "What's that one for?"

"A swordstick."

The man picked it up and twisted the handle, drawing out a hidden blade.

"Good for travelers. Bandits think you are unarmed and won't pay you much attention. Also, keeps it from scaring folk you meet down the road. Some people just get nervous at the sight of a weapon. Looters and all that. This one also has a knife at the end."

The man twisted the other side of the stick, revealing a knife.

"In the case they know there is a sword hidden inside. You can give up the sword and take out this knife when they aren't looking. Brilliant really. You hide two weapons instead of one. So even if one is found out. You still have another ready to finish the job."

Iris looked at a needle like sword from the wall. It's blade was so thin that one could only see a dot if it were pointed directly at their eyes.

"And this one?"

"A Red Pin. A kind of rapier. Good for thrusting. Has reach. But I thought you were fighting monsters? A sword like this would break on anything tougher than a cow's hide."

"You would be surprised at what will or will not break," smiled Iris. "Grey what do you think?"

Iris gently guided the boy's hand to the sword, allowing him to feel the metal. She tapped her finger on the blade, allowing Grey to hear a sound. It was familiar. Soothing.

"Would this be a good sword?"

Grey thought deeply.

"Monsters have weaknesses. Their eyes. Joints. Also, mouth and butt. As long as they aren't made out of rock they can be injured."

The blacksmith's eyes widened. He knew a fair bit of monsters, having sold equipment to the city guard.

"Kid, you are talking about a shooting an arrow from nearly a six hundred paces. You might be able to do hit it on a good day, with fair winds, but if you are talking about hitting those weak points all the time. It's just not possible. There are better weapons."

"But there are no weapons that are faster," said Iris. "We will take it."

She looked at a bow that hung from the wall.

"Do you have any medium ranged weapons? Pellets. Whips?"

The man reluctantly picked up the sword, and led them to another room.

"Of course. This way."

In this room there was a painting. No...more accurate to say was the walls had been painted over, and together they showed the scene of a famous battlefield. A detachment of knights on a hill fighting impossible odds, surrounded by men on all side. Their flag, a gold faced griffon, waved proudly in the air as corpses piled in heaps beneath their feet.

"The Battle of Yufil. Third Era," said the blacksmith. "Back then they had blacksteel. Ore so rich that the average man could cut through solid rock as if it were nothing. Nowadays, you only see such things when adventurers decide to show off." He nodded towards Iris. "No offense."

"None taken," smiled Iris. "That whip over there. The one hanging from the man riding the silver steed. Let me take a look."

"Of course."

The blacksmith took it down and let Iris inspect it. Iris said a few words to Ciara who was standing next to her. Grey approached the blacksmith from behind, gently tugging on his shirt.

"Sir," said Grey, curiously. "There is a painting in this room isn't there?"

"Why yes there is? It is all over the room. Can't you..."

The blacksmith looked at the boy's eyes. They were as pale as a corpse. Lifeless. Dead.

"Dear God! Your eyes!"

"Ah," said Grey. "I am blind. Sorry."

Grey bowed apologetically.

"No," said the blacksmith. "It's not something you should be sorry for. I am sorry. It just startled me. I haven't seen such a thing in my life. Battle wounds yes, but your eyes. Ah, let us not talk about it anymore. What were you saying?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me what the painting looks like since I can't see it and the story behind it," said Grey, embarrassingly. He loved stories. How could he not resist asking about it?

"Well, it couldn't hurt I guess," shrugged the blacksmith. "My memory is a little foggy, but let's see. It began in a place known as..."

The blacksmith recounted the scene to Grey. The knights were known as the Knights of Orbis. A group of knights famous for their exploits in the Chaos Wars. In those days a monster known as the Demon King had arisen. A true intelligent monster. Able of thought and human speech. He sought out to conquer the world, but was stopped by the Knights of Orbis as they stormed his castle on the Northern Plains. This battle was one of the last ones they fought in before they reached his fated gates."

"Those knights whatever became of them?"

Grey knew that of all the current kingdoms. There were none named Orbis. He felt disheartened that their noble deeds had not passed through the ages.

"Disbanded. The war had destroyed their country and made them wandering vagabonds....but a few of them did stay at the old castle of the Demon King. To protect the world should he ever return."

"And the Demon King's Castle? Is it still standing?"

"Are you looking to visit it?" laughed the blacksmith. "Well, I guess you being an adventurer. You might get close enough to see the gates. It's now known as the Ivory Citadel. It is in Elfheim. A region in Lukoil."

"Ah!" said Grey, surprised. He had read books on each of the current kingdom, but had none of the books had mentioned the Knights of Orbis. If a few of their records remained at the capital. Then perhaps he could learn how the Knights of Orbis defeated the Demon King and become even stronger.

"Thank you."

"It is not something I need to be thanked about," shrugged the blacksmith. "Just don't get hurt. I know you are an adventurer and all. And I won't pretend I know how strong you are. You must be strong if you are one of 'them', but I don't feel right knowing children are out there killing things that would make a grown man fear for his life. If things get too dangerous, say you will run. It'll ease my conscience."

Grey smiled. This blacksmith had a good heart.

"Okay. I will."

The blacksmith took Grey's hand and shook it. "It's a man's promise alright?"

Grey's face turned to despair. He remembered Baylee saying something like that to him. That a man's promise was only worth as much as his strength. Grey shook the blacksmith's hand weakly. He felt physically sick, as if he were lying to himself.

Iris came by with the whip in hand.

"I will pay for these. Twenty silver?"

She haggled with the blacksmith and got the price to sixteen silver pieces. Ciara took the whip happily in her hand. As they left the shop, Grey thought about Baylee. How she died, apologizing for not being able to protect him.

"Master, I am sorry. I am still too weak."

His face downcast. He hurried up to follow Iris. Her footsteps echoing through the streets.