by Candy Crum
They needed new steel—and fast.
"I haven't seen you concentrate on something so hard since you were a little girl."
Arryn jumped at the sound of her father's voice. She turned and smiled as she saw him looking at her with affection in his expression.
She pointed at the sword she was holding. "Damn near every blade has been destroyed or impacted in some way. Dented. Warped. Bowed. Chipped. The hilts are weak on a lot of these; one wrong hit, and they could hurt someone. Not that it matters, I guess, since we can heal them. But if the sword breaks and gouges someone through the heart or the brain, well, there's not a whole lot of coming back from that."
Sighing, she threw the sword down on the ground. "We need new ones—or to reforge the ones we have."
Christopher made his way over, eyeing the weapons rack. His fingers reached forward, lightly brushing one of the battle bruised blades. "Do you have a smith here?"
Arryn shook her head. "The Chieftain said the only smith we had in any of the three villages was an old man who died in the last attack—he and his apprentice. From the looks of it, the smoke overwhelmed him, and his apprentice stayed to help him. He wasn't fast enough or strong enough, though, so he succumbed as well."
Christopher's expression turned sorrowful as he listened to what the dark druids had done to the people. He knew all too well just how much they could take from someone.
"What about Arcadia? Because of you, trading with the city is back on the table. From what I've heard, your friend Amelia would be more than willing to help you out," he said.
Arryn shook her head, her mouth turning up in an unamused smile. "You're right that trade is back open, or at least it will be once everything settles, but they didn’t have smiths either. While I was there, I learned just how bad their situation has become."
Christopher laughed. "Without Adrien? I find that hard to believe."
Shaking her head, Arryn said, "Oh, no. The city is much better off without him. I just mean their economic growth came to a grinding halt when all the nobles left. All of Arcadia's money went with them, and it hurt the city quite a bit. The laborers that lived comfortably off working for the noble people had nowhere to go, and the people from the Boulevard sure as hell couldn't afford goods, so they had to go where the money was. Arcadia lost every smith they had."
"Damn…" Christopher responded.
Arryn snorted when she heard her father swear. "Yeah, so we’re gonna have to get creative. I don't know where all the blacksmiths are, but if they’re working for the nobles that fled the city, we probably don't want anything to do with them, anyway. As far as I can tell, that only leaves one option."
"What's that?"
As Arryn was about to answer, Cathillian and Elysia made their way into the pit. It was the middle of the day, time for everyone to take their break, get something to eat, and spend time with family. Arryn had chosen to stay behind and inspect the weapons after they heard several complaints during training.
"I only know of one blacksmith in the Valley; his name is Roger. He's just south of the mountains in the Frozen North," Arryn said.
"You're going to go all the way up there for a steelworker?" Christopher asked with some shock.
She nodded. "He's a good, honest man, and he’s helped me before. I know he’d be willing to help me again. We can't use the blacksmiths in Craigston, because the rearick are a stingy bunch, and they'll want to be paid."
Cathillian snorted as he came to stand by Arryn. "I don't know the full conversation here, but if you’re discussing finding a blacksmith in the Heights who’s willing to take less than a shit ton of money, you'd be better off trying to put a dress and one of those hideous little hats that the noblewomen in Arcadia wear on a lion."
Arryn looked at him incredulously. "Uh, we could do that. You do remember we're druids, right?"
He looked dumbstruck for a moment as he looked up, thinking over his comment. He laughed. "Oh, yeah. Nevermind. Carry on."
Arryn rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Anyway, as I was saying... Roger is a good man, and I know he’d be willing to work with us for little coin. He's extremely fast, too. The only problem is getting up there."
"And how far is ‘up there,’ exactly?" Elysia asked.
Arryn paused as she sighed. She knew Elysia would not be fond of her leaving, especially going that far away. "Like I said, just south of the Frozen North. I found him when I came down from the mountain. He's the one that crafted the ram’s horn daggers for me; he did it in just a couple of hours, while I slept."
"Well, I know you’re strong and more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I would still feel better if you took someone with you," Christopher said.
Elysia nodded. "If you truly feel this is the answer, then by all means, do it. I don't know how long we have, but I do know Alaric and Jerick are probably still recuperating, and they're more than likely going to need to find more people if Alaric wants to take another crack at the Dark Forest—and I have no question in my mind about that. He will. That buys you a week or so, I'd imagine. Maybe more, but I wouldn't risk it."
"I'll go," Cathillian said. "We've been adventuring together anyway, and even though you’re stronger than most people here, it still wouldn’t hurt to have someone else with you. If you’ll have me, I'd gladly accompany you. Besides, you'll need the extra hands to carry back whatever this guy can make."
Arryn smiled. "Good! Then it’s settled. We’ll go north. Maybe we can even talk Roger into coming here, and taking an apprentice after the war is over. Obviously, we need it."
Elysia smiled. "One miracle at a time, child."
Nodding, Arryn said, "Great! We’ll set out tonight. Cathillian, you and I should break away from training for the rest of the day and get some sleep. I need to tell Snow we’ll be leaving. You should ready Maia."
"Take Chaos," Elysia suggested. "He's very large, and can carry a cart much faster than Maia could. You'll need it for whatever weapons you can craft. Arryn, with your magic, you should be able to create the steel for him, as you did with your blades. That way, he won't use as much magic, and will get more done."
"Do you need me to go with you?" Christopher asked. "I feel like I should, but at the same time, I realize you're not a little girl anymore."
She made her way over to her father and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "Right now, I want you to relax and continue on your healing path with the Chieftain, Elysia, and Zoe. You don't have much longer with Zoe since she'll be returning to the Heights soon. Take whatever help you can get. I'll be fine. I'll see you when I return."
Arryn gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping away and heading back toward the southern village.
***
Taking a deep breath, Amelia walked into her new classroom. It was the first time in a very long time she had been inside the Academy. She had even avoided it during the remodel of Marie's new office.
Things were different now, and she intended to be there every step of the way this time.
In the short time that she had been back in control, Amelia had gone to great lengths to make the city stronger, and that included the Academy. The school’s rules, curriculum, and even the hours of operation had been changed.
Arcadia would never again be so easy a target. It would take one hell of an effort to get the best of them in the future. Starting immediately, Amelia had begun mandatory classes in the mystical arts for all students.
She was more than aware that she wasn't a master of that particular branch of magic, but she knew enough to teach them how to meditate, and create a basic mental barrier—which was sorely needed.
She wanted to teach them how to shield their minds so that what happened with Scarlett and the other dark mystics could never happen again.
Of course, that would mean that not even she could get in their heads without their knowledge, but she didn't mind that in the grand scheme of things. Her intuition had grown significan
tly, and if she felt someone was in danger, she would be able to get the information she needed.
On top of educating them in the mystic arts, she had begun holding weapons classes in the larger rooms downstairs. Students would all be expected to take a basic self-defense course, which would include working with regular weapons, as well as magitech rifles. They would be training with experienced fighters.
Though the Guard wasn't as strong as they needed to be for the position they held, they were certainly strong enough to teach students basic self-defense.
Additionally, the school would no longer be open only to teenagers. Once regular classes were out for the day, the adult classes would begin.
This newest change was made especially for those who lived in the Boulevard, who hadn’t had any opportunity to learn magic. They would also have the chance to learn self-defense—or continue their education, as many of them had learned how to fight in some fashion in the original Battle for Arcadia, when Hannah, the Founder, and the others had taught them.
They would have the opportunity to learn mental shielding, physical magic, and hand-to-hand combat, as well as weapons handling. Everything the younger students had the opportunity to learn in the daytime, the adults would be able to learn in the evening.
The idea was that each student would then have someone to practice with at home, or someone to help, if they were further ahead in their own classes.
Amelia's greatest hope was to have a few Cella guards training the defense classes, and maybe even have an advanced class. She had learned a lot from the druid culture, and she decided that she wanted to implement some of their practices. It had made them strong and respected.
She also wanted to talk with the Chieftain to see if he might know of a druid who would be interested in teaching a nature magic class. She had so loved the idea when Arryn first came to the city, and she still loved it now.
The city would be much safer if everyone in it knew how to fight, how to throw a fireball, how to block their minds from being assaulted, and how to heal themselves if the worst were to happen.
Amelia didn't care about power; she didn't care about being in control of the city. She only cared that she led them down the right path, the path Ezekiel had originally wanted for them.
If she had her way, Julianne would soon be making a monthly trip to the city to teach the mystical arts class, and she would have another druid in the Academy at all times. The Valley would then be a peaceful place, with all three branches of magic finally united, as well as its people.
Just the way it always should have been.
Amelia smiled as everyone took their seats and got comfortable. There were several familiar faces from when she had been the Dean, but there were many more who were from the Boulevard.
"Good morning, class," Amelia said. "I know this will be difficult for you, trying to get back into studying and learning with everything that has happened recently. But we have to move on. More than that, we have to make ourselves stronger, so that we have the confidence to move forward. "
The students seemed uncomfortable being back in class, and she couldn't blame them. But even though she understood, she knew it was a necessity.
It was the first day, so she took her time explaining the changes that were coming, and those that had already taken place. Though classes had resumed, there was a leniency for those who were still having a difficult time.
It would also take some time to get the word out to the adults. There were some who knew classes would be available, but most did not; that was the reason behind informing the younger students.
They were to tell their parents, aunts, uncles—whoever they might have in their lives—that the Academy was now open to everyone, and that they didn’t need to worry about payment right then.
She planned to find a way to supplement the lack of income for the poor students somehow, making it free or low-cost to them. The teachers needed to be paid, but self-defense was priceless. Every student deserved to learn, no matter the amount of money their family had.
"What about Arryn? Can't she come back and teach another nature magic class? From what I heard, she was a badass in combat as well," one of the students inquired.
Amelia smiled. "I'm sure she will one of these days, but right now, she’s trying to save the Dark Forest from being overtaken. Like we have seen in our own struggles recently, the Dark Forest has its enemies."
At the mention of Arryn, several of the students wore guilty looks on their faces. She had no doubt it was due to the memory of how they had all treated her. They had been so quick to point a finger at the outsider, even though she had gone to great lengths to help them. Their actions had pushed her out of the city, allowing both Talia and Scarlett to rise to power.
If it hadn’t been for Arryn risking her life to come back, the city would have fallen a few times.
Amelia clapped her hands, rubbing them together as she smiled. "So, who wants to make sure no psycho bitch ever gets in their head again?"
Everyone in the room raised their hand with enthusiasm.
CHAPTER THREE
It seemed like it had been forever since Ren and Sven were last in Craigston, and they were flooded with relief when they made it home from Arcadia.
Amelia had gotten what she needed, having taken down a large group of bastard bandits. She even kept a live one to take back and question about what the hell was going on with all the attacks.
The two rearick men had just made it to Ophelia's, the local bar and inn located in their home town. They walked in and were cheered for immediately.
"Ta the two rat bastards responsible fer getting Arcadia ta do somethin’ about the shits on the road!" someone shouted.
"Hear, hear!" everyone else shouted after.
It seemed there was a lot to celebrate.
Julianne, the Master Mystic in the Temple, had recently returned, causing quite the stir. A few weeks before, a false Julianne—a dark mystic named Donna, who had changed her appearance and posed as the Master—had come through and caused a mess.
By the time the real Julianne arrived, Craigston and the Temple had been on the verge of war. Luckily, she was able to pull everything back together and set it straight; even ol’ Tavich was able to help, surprisingly enough.
The rearick brothers were happy they had missed all of that excitement.
A barmaid came over and sat a mug of ale down on the table before each of them, giving them a wink. "The lady o’ the house says these’re on her. With both of ye helpin’ catch those rotten thieves, more money’ll be pourin’ in her way."
The brothers smiled and lifted their drinks in thanks before tipping them back and draining them. Each man had a stream of ale dripping down his long beard.
Ren set his mug down first, letting out a large belch and wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. His brother followed shortly after. "Thanks, lass," Ren said to the barmaid. She nodded, picking up both mugs before turning and heading back to the bar.
"I think we might just be able ta get used ta this whole town hero thing," Sven said.
Ren laughed. "I did this in Arcadia fer a bit after helpin’ with the remnant. Trust me, they get used to it after a while, an’ the free drinks quit comin’. Enjoy it while it lasts."
The barmaid had just set down their new drinks when the town alarm began to sound. Everyone in the bar turned serious, even those that were obviously piss drunk.
Ren and Sven jumped up, hustling out the door to see a young rearick with a short beard running toward them. It was Gabe, the one in charge of the watchtower.
The young lad began pointing toward the east, trying to gain his breath. "Th-they're... comin’. From the… east. Remnant. Lots of ‘em."
The brothers looked to one another before nodding. Ren turned back to the young man and put his hand on his shoulder. "If ye're brave enough ta fight, grab a hammer. If not, get yer ass inside the bar."
He could see the debate in the young man's face before he
finally ran toward the bar.
"What a little runt," Sven said. "When I was his age, I was fightin’ remnant in me sleep!"
Ren laughed. "Yeah, that’s ‘cause ye were asleep whenever I was fightin’ ‘em. I'd rather the boy know he can't fight and run inside, than pretend ‘e can, and us have ta save his ass eighteen times before gettin’ me-own-self killed."
Sven nodded. "Aye. Good point."
The men ran inside, grabbed their weapons, and shouted to the drunkards, miners, laborers, and anyone else inside that the town needed defending. When they all piled outside, they saw several armed women running out into the open.
More and more, this was becoming the norm for the small town. Not that they minded, especially after seeing what the women in Arcadia could do.
Ren could hear the sound of growling and screaming as the remnant tore their way into town. "Move east! We don't want these bastards takin’ our bar!"
Sven stepped forward. "Yeah! We won't have anywhere ta drink afterward ta celebrate rippin’ their heads off!"
The men and women ran forward, searching in the darkness to find the beasts that were coming to attack their home. Ren couldn't help but think of just how far from home those half-rotted maggots were.
He imagined it had less to do with their willingness to travel, and more to do with the fact that Arcadia had been a massive failure. They knew moving into the Valley again would mean terrible things for them.
The first remnant came into view, jumping out with a hideous glisten to his skin, the rotted pustules and sweat and oil all over him almost shining in the moonlight. Before Ren could get to him, one of his female counterparts ran forward.
She had the war cry of a man twice her size as she swung a hammer as big as his own, smashing the beast in the side of the head and splitting it open. She spun around, dropping to her knees as she did. Her hammer came around and hit another in the side as he charged her. The beast was knocked off balance, giving her enough time to stand and bring that hammer down on the back of its neck.
