by Logan Jacobs
I covered her hand with my own, and when she managed to tear her eyes from the map, I smiled at her. “We will avenge them, Mahini.”
“Thank you, Great One.” She closed her eyes and then gave me the slightest of nods.
“How many men would you like to take, Sebastian?” Elrin asked me as a way to totally kill the mood between Mahini and I. “Every man in this room is more than capable within the mine, and I’m sure they would be honored to fight at your side.”
There was a whole chorus of agreement, and a few men even insisted I take them along. I looked around at the group and noted the strength in their arms and the fire in their eyes. I had no doubt they would fight to the last man to protect their mine and their homes, but I didn’t really need them. Between Mahini’s skill and my time manipulation, we could easily take on the goblin horde alone.
“I’m not taking any men with me,” I said, and nearly everyone in the room gasped aside from Mahini.
“But--” one of them began to say, but I waved my hand to cut him off.
“Too many of us in such a small space will just get crowded and make things unnecessarily difficult,” I snickered. “I need space to move.”
“You can’t seriously be thinking of going by yourself?” Elrin asked. “You were impressive with the kobolds, but goblins are tricky little devils.”
“I never said I was going alone,” I replied. “I told you before that I had Mahini at my side.”
“You’re going to take on the goblins… just the two of you?” Elrin asked in disbelief.
“I could probably do it alone, but she needs to avenge her family.” I shrugged. “Do you disapprove?”
“Yes,” Elrin huffed. “You can’t--”
“I don’t give a fuck if you approve or not,” I cut him off. “The question was rhetorical. I am your god, and you will do as I say. Then, when I return, we will have a feast to celebrate. Does everyone here understand?”
“Yes, Great One,” the men gathered around the table all said in unison.
“And you?” I looked to Mahini.
“Yes, Great One,” she whispered, but now only adoration swam in her eyes, instead of the pain.
Chapter 7
“Please reconsider this plan, Sebastian,” Elrin said for the hundredth time as we approached Caelia’s store. His eyes flashed in my direction every few steps, and I knew that he had so much more he wanted to say. “Even one more person would--”
“Just get in the way,” I finished with a sigh. “I get where you’re coming from, Elrin, but trust me. Mahini and I can handle this.”
“I’ll be the first to admit that your skill against the kobold horde was beyond any of our dreams,” the burly man continued to badger, “but we don’t know how many goblins there are, and you’re going to be in their territory.”
“Theirs?” I grinned. “I thought it was yours?”
The town’s leader garbled something completely unintelligible and shot me an angry glare. His heart and logic were both in the right place, but he didn’t know everything that I did. He wouldn’t have those lines creasing his forehead if he knew the truth of my powers.
There was no more arguing from Elrin after that because we reached Caelia’s storefront. The petite brunette let out a small squeak when she spotted me, but her eyes lit up when she heard why we were there.
“Supplies?” She tilted her head and furrowed her brow. “For taking out the goblins? Wouldn’t you be better off speaking with Jax?”
“Mahini’s asking him about weapons and armor now,” I said with a shrug. “But we’re gonna need some food and equipment for camping out, too, and you’re the best woman for the job.”
“O-Oh, right! Of course!”
The beautiful shopkeeper beckoned me inside and led me around the store. It was much smaller than anything back home, even the little Mom-and-Pop stores that were quickly going out of style. I counted a grand total of eight shelving units, and I had to bite my tongue when I saw the state of them. I had never really had to deal with anything vital to survival being out of stock back home. Certain foods might have been suffering a shortage, but there was always some kind of alternative available.
“This is insane,” I muttered to myself.
There was only one canvas tent available to us and blankets came from Caelia’s own home. There wasn’t a single foot of rope, no canteens, no matches, no tarps, and that was nothing to the food. It was good that we would be back for dinner the following night.
“I wish we had fresh vegetables for you,” Caelia said with wavering eyes, and I noticed that the preserves shelf was completely empty when she placed two jars into one of the packs. “But if you think you’ll be back by tomorrow night, these should be enough.”
I placed my hand over hers on the drawstring of the bag. She jolted under my touch, and her red cheeks darkened further with a blush.
“This right here will be the difference between life and death,” I assured her. “I just know it.”
“N-No, that’s not…” she stammered. “I wish I could do more…”
“You’ve done great, Caelia,” I said as I tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. “Just leave everything else to me, okay? I’m your god, and I will take care of you. Remember?”
Her mouth fell open in a light gasp, and her eyes sparkled with hope as she nodded. She was too cute to resist, so I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
It must have fried her brain a bit because she stammered out a sentence that didn’t make any sense before she bolted for the door leading to her home. The door slammed behind her with enough force to rattle the few bottles still left on the shelves nearby, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“She seems… enamored with you.” Elrin frowned and shook his head.
“Everyone should be,” I snickered as I walked out the door of the shop. “I’m about to save this village of yours.”
The old fart just didn’t understand the value of a cute girl.
We made our way to the northern entrance of the town, opposite from where the horde had made their stand. There was a group of men slogging away in the dirt to build a new trench. A newly-made spike barrier was also being constructed, and Elrin had other men working on some kind of temporary gates to pull across the entrances for extra protection.
Why this wasn’t done sooner, I had no idea, but after I was finished killing off all the goblins, I’d start calling the shots around here and get the town running efficiently.
Mahini met up with us at the entrance with Jax close behind. They carried what looked like a complete set of plate armor and half the weapons in the blacksmith’s shop.
“You’re gonna have to use one of my blades, Bash,” Jax growled with a twinkle in his eye. “I know you’re lookin’ forward to your own sword, but this’ll serve you better than that junk you’ve already got.”
He handed over the sword hanging off his shoulder, and I inspected it. The sheath was humbly decorated, but the blade let out a satisfying hiss as I drew it out. It was a one-handed knight’s sword, like the pathetic one from the catacombs, and its edge looked deadly since there were no dents or chips missing. The stats that popped up when I touched it were nothing to sneeze at either, which just goes to show what a real professional can do.
Durability – 100%
Weight – 2.7lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – None
Magical Ability – None
“His own sword?” Elrin questioned. “What do you mean?”
“Our god here’s gonna run me outta business!” Jax roared with laughter. “He was at my shop this mornin’ forging with skills I’ve never seen before. Swords, shields, armor. This guy’s a natural! Well… I suppose he is a god.”
I shrugged at Elrin’s startled look, and I returned the sword to its sheath. The two men spoke about my amazing skills while I inspected the armor Jax had brought. The chestplate was just a smooth dome of metal, and I imagined making my own
with some kind of crest on it. What would the crest of the God of Time be? Maybe I would be inspired by the fight against the goblins.
I drummed my fingers where I might have the crest made, and I nearly dropped it when a stat box popped up. I thought only weapons had stats, but it made sense for all equipment to also have stats.
Durability – 100%
Weight – 5.9lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 4
“Let me help you,” Mahini said. Her slender fingers seemed to spark when they touched my hand, but she didn’t seem to react, so she must not have felt it. “You won’t need to wear all of the armor until the battle, but it would be best to make sure it fits while we’re still in town.”
The warrior woman started by draping a padded shirt over my head. The sleeves were a little stiff and awkward at first, but after flexing my arms a few times, I got used to it.
“This will keep the metal hinges from pinching your skin,” the dark-haired goddess explained as she wrapped the chestplate around my torso. “It also adds a bit more resistance before the blade can touch your skin.”
“I feel like I’ve become your life-sized doll, actually,” I said with a grin.
She gave me a smile, but then she focused on her work dressing me up. After the chestplate came the piece of armor that covered my thighs. Having her hands so close to the goods was very distracting, and when she spoke to me, I couldn’t hear her over the pounding of blood in my ears. I just stood there and nodded like a fool, and I tried to think of anything besides the beautiful woman caressing my thigh while she put on my armor.
“Are you alright, Great One?” She kneeled before me with her head tilted slightly.
“Yeah, I’m fine, just occupied with godly thoughts.” I blinked a few times to get rid of the haze filling my brain. “I’ve never worn armor before, since I’m a god and all.”
“It suits you,” she said with a smile. “Even gods should have protection, and you look quite handsome in the armor.”
“Well, fuck it, then,” I said. “I’m never taking this off.”
Mahini rewarded me with one of her melodic laughs. While she was busying herself with the bags from Caelia, I tapped on the different parts of the armor to check the stats.
The greaves, thigh pieces, and both the upper and forearm parts were identical, and each individual piece had its own stats:
Durability – 100%
Weight – 2.2lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 3
The shoulder guards were fairly close to the other pieces of armor in weight:
Durability – 100%
Weight – 2.4lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 3
The last was the helmet, but I didn’t need to put it on until we actually reached the mine. It was a single curved piece that fit snugly on my head with a long piece that came down to protect my nose. The sides came in to protect my cheekbones, but my chin and throat were exposed. Mahini assured me that goblins were too short to be able to reach and slice my throat open, and it was the best that Jax had on such short notice.
Durability – 100%
Weight – 3.8lbs
Quality – High
Magical Aspect – None
Armor Tier – 3
I wasn’t given a pair of metal boots to walk around in, and I couldn’t have been happier. Not only did it seem like they would be super uncomfortable, I was growing fond of the boots Torya had given me. The greaves fit well over the leather without making my feet feel like they were suffocating, and I knew once I broke them in that they would be just as comfortable as the sneakers I had back home.
The sun was rapidly approaching the horizon to the west by the time we were ready to set out. The men stopped their digging to see us off, and I made sure to shake the hands of every single one of them.
“You guys are gonna have to look after the place while I’m gone,” I said. “I’m trusting you with the protection of the town.”
The men smiled and nodded with the comment, and more than one of them saluted me as I walked past. I was rapidly rising to the ranks of leader of this small town, despite the fact that I had only been here a day.
“Gotta love being a god,” I said to myself.
Jax shook my hand at the gate, but he had nothing to say to me. I wondered if he knew I wouldn’t need luck, and, really, he didn’t seem like the type to make a big deal of goodbyes, anyway. It wasn’t like I was going away for more than a day. The time to really celebrate was when I came back after clearing the mine out.
“Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to bring anyone else with you, Sebastian?” Elrin asked for the final time. When I shook my head, he let out a deep sigh. “I would feel more at ease if you did, but I will not argue any further. You are the god, after all.”
The man held his hand out to me, and after I shook it, he did the same with Mahini. The woman seemed surprised, but she shook the mayor’s hand and gave him a courteous bow.
“May providence follow you on this path, O Great One, and may you return to us soon,” Elrin said as he made some kind of gesture in the air, and I figured it was kind of like a Christian drawing a cross as a blessing. I probably needed to figure out the actual religions in this world, but that all could wait until after I took care of these goblins.
After all, I had plenty of time to enjoy this new life in this new world.
We followed the established path from the town that led to the mine. It was a little over half an hour from the town when the men were slowed by mule-drawn carts, but Mahini and I were able to keep a steady pace going that ate up the distance like a contestant at a hotdog-eating contest. The brisk pace and the weight of our packs kept conversation to a minimum, and once the town disappeared, all of my senses jumped to high alert. The grass of the plains could be hiding any manner of threats, and the wildlife of this world didn’t seem as terrified of humans as they were back home. It wasn’t hard to picture a cougar or leopard or manbearpig stalking us as we trekked across the plains.
If we were suddenly attacked, my hack-and-slash methods would work after a few dozen Chimes, but I figured that actually learning how to use my weapons from an expert would probably mean a more efficient use of my time. I needed some kind of formal training, and I was walking right next to a teacher.
“I suppose this is the perfect time,” I muttered to myself as I created a new save point. I then came to a stop and put my bags on the ground. “Hey Mahini, I have a favor to ask.”
“Yes, Great One?” the desert warrior asked as she came to a stop.
“I need you to teach me how to use a sword,” I said as I drew my blade. “I’ve only used my dagger, and this new blade just feels heavy.”
“In the middle of this field?” she asked as she furrowed her brow.
“Well, we can move around easily out here,” I said.
I expected her to argue with me and say that since I was the God of Time, I would have no problem switching from a dagger to a sword. I was ready to respawn and try a different tactic, but after a long pause, the desert woman nodded.
“Yes, I will teach you,” she said. “First, it appears that you are holding the grip incorrectly.”
Mahini placed her bags beside mine and then ran me through the basics of my grip. Then she went through a few various defensive stances. The point was to remain tense enough to not get knocked over but still flexible enough so that movement was easy and almost fluid. She demonstrated her own movements several times, and it was hard to concentrate on what she was doing rather than the way her body moved, but Mahini was patient with me even when she caught me staring.
I practiced my stance for her, and after a few minor adjustments, she was satisfied with the result.
“As long as you keep your weight on the balls of your feet, you’ll
be able to move quickly in any direction,” she said. “Just be sure not to lean too far forward or too far back.”
Next was the actual sword fighting, and it all boiled down to parrying and counter attacks.
“Efficiency plays a big part, but if you can hit your opponent, you can win,” Mahini instructed. “We will not fight for real, as we do not have practice blades, but let’s try a few rounds until you get the hang of it.”
“Perfect,” I said as the desert goddess got into position opposite me. I wanted to master sword fighting, not just get the hang of it.
The first round of sparring was pretty much just us hitting our swords together while she instructed me to shift positions, advance, or retreat. It was almost like dancing in a way, and I couldn’t think of a better partner to have. After a few minutes of back and forth, Mahini gave me the chance to get past her defenses and land an attack.
The woman moved like a cat and seemed to know what I was going to do even before I did. Her sword caught mine at every turn, and even though I was the one who was supposed to try to land hits, she smacked me with the flat of her blade over and over again.
“You left yourself wide open,” she said. “Without a shield, you need to protect yourself with your sword or your armor will take a beating.”
She deemed the session over after about an hour, and I pulled at my power to try again.
Chime.
“Hey, Mahini, I have a favor to ask.”
“Yes, Great One?” the desert warrior asked as she came to a stop.
“I need you to spar with me a bit,” I said as I drew my blade. “Can you look at my stances and make sure they are efficient?”
“You need my help, Great One?” she asked as she bit her lip with a bit of confusion.
“Yeah,” I snickered as I raised my blade. “Let’s go. How is my long stance?”
My stance passed her inspection, although she still gave me the same advice as before. We ran through the basics of sword fighting in a flash, and then she opened it up to a proper sparring session. I still left myself open more than I should have, but I was learning the desert woman’s moves.
The second round lasted a bit longer than the first, and I respawned again when she declared the sparring at an end.
