Thane smiled as the two men stumbled towards him, unsure if they should attack, "Oh, come on, if you guys don't want to fight, just leave so I can pay my tab and get out of here." The two thugs looked at each other, and he could see their anger start to boil over.
"That's it. Get mad. Everybody is watching to see if you have the guts to attack one lone man!" Thane's final insult did it, and with a roar, the stupider of the two charged him holding up his fist, ready to strike.
Wetting his lips, Thane raised his hands, his fingers loosely held together. As the thug got within striking distance, he planted his back foot and aimed a heel kick at Thane's midsection. Thane knocked the limb aside using his hands alone before taking two steps to move inside the thug's guard.
His eyes widened before Thane grabbed his leg and swept his back foot. Both of them went down in the tumble, but Thane used the thug as a springboard and rolled to his feet.
As soon as he stood up, the other two were on him. Thane avoided each blow turning his waist with ease, so each attack only glanced at him before sailing past. Retreating a few feet, Thane coiled his body like a snake before lashing out with a high kick that caught the last lackey in the face knocking out several teeth in the process.
Thane kept his foot extended before slowly lowering it to the floor as the thug collapsed, falling to the ground with blood pooling around his mouth.
The leader of the trio looked at Thane and the smile plastered on his face, 'He's a toying with us, enjoying our pain. Just who is this guy?!' As he turned around to flee, Thane was already in front of him, "No survivors."
That one line echoed through the thug's mind before his world went dark.
Standing over the three bodies, Thane sighed, "That wasn't very fun. They didn't even land a hit." Rolling his shoulder, he looked around the room, "Has anyone seen my knife? I'm pretty sure it was tossed over in that corner."
When Thane pointed, everyone in that direction flinched and moved aside, only leaving a single person sitting at their table. Immediately Thane felt something different about the person, 'I can feel it, this person has killed before.'
Thane walked over to the cloaked figure and sat down at their table, "You seem to be a cut above the rest, tell me, who has my knife?" Without a word, the figure placed down Thane's knife and a piece of paper.
Before Thane could grab his knife, the figure spoke in a bare whisper, "My boss wants to speak with you. We know who you are and what you are. It won't be long before others find out. When that happens, you'll want a power backing you."
They then stood up and left the inn. Thane grabbed and holstered his knife before opening the card.
'Find the Sphinxes Horde, tell the librarian you want to see Lilith.'
Tearing up the note, Thane stood up and walked back over to Annabelle, "Come on, let's go." Annabelle nodded, and they both left the inn with everybody watching their backs.
Thane and Annabelle walked with no destination in mind for a while, as the tension slowly built between them.
"Sorry for what I did there," Thane said without making eye contact with Annabelle. "I can't have someone watching my back who won't or can't lift a finger to stop those who would wish me ill."
"Did you have to do it that way?" Annabelle asked quietly, still coming down from the adrenalin rush.
"No, but it was the fastest and most effective way. You need to know that you will end up killing and maybe more if you plan to follow me. The day might come where I'll ask you to kill, and if you can't, we will both die. Do you understand?" Thane spoke at a barely audible level, but the words still hammered in Annabelle's mind.
Nodding, Annabelle looked at Thane, "I understand."
Thane smiled, "I think that's enough of the heavy stuff for now. How about we go on a shopping spree? I found that spending money on useless stuff always cheers me up."
Trying to smile, Annabelle nodded, "Sure, with any luck, we might be able to find out more about this cultivation thing."
After finding where to start, Thane and Annabelle turned down a wide, crowded street with stores of all kinds lining each side. Looking above the crowd, Thane smiled as he locked his sights on a weapons shop.
"Look, Thane, a Library, maybe we can get some answers over there." Annabelle tugged on Thane's sleeve directing his gaze over to a smaller shop with a sign depicting a sphinx guarding a pile of books.
Keeping his expression neutral, Thane scratched the back of his head, "Before we go in there, how about, we check out that blacksmith. You could use a weapon, and I don't think my knives will get far here."
Annabelle sighed, "I guess you're right. You don't want to pull your gun of nowhere either." Smiling, Thane guides her over and into the store.
The walls were lined with display cases of various weapons of all shapes and sizes. And while Thane wasn't an expert in medieval weaponry, he could tell that all of the pieces were of high quality.
"Is there anything I can help you two with today?" A deep gravelly voice came from deeper within the store, and Annabelle looked over just in time to see a man stained with soot and sweat in a heavy leather apron walk towards them.
Putting on his con-man smile, Thane approached the man, "Yes, I'm looking for a simple weapon for my friend here. Something small like a knife or dagger."
The smith scratched his chin, "Depending on your price range. I have a multitude of weapons that can suit your needs."
"Money's not a problem," Thane assured the man, to which he smiled, "Great, let me get it from the back, I assure you, your lady friend will love it."
When the man was out of sight, Annabelle mumbled under her breath, "Why does everyone think we're a couple?"
"It's hard to find an attractive couple together who aren't romantically entwined." Annabelle blushed, "Y-you think I'm attractive?"
Thane shrugged, "Yeah, but you're a little young for my taste." Annabelle pursed her lips, "You're acting like I'm eighteen or something."
"So what twenty?" While Annabelle didn't confirm or deny Thane's guess, her turning bright red was answer enough for him.
As he turned back around, the blacksmith came back around the corner, "Here we go. I'll think you'll like this one." He then unwrapped the package in his hands, revealing a short sword with a pitch-black blade.
The handle and guard were basic, but that didn't make the blade any less beautiful, "I found this masterpiece during my adventuring days. The metal is a rare alloy of ebony, a rare quality ore."
The smith presented it to Annabelle, and she took it carefully.
[Notice: Start]
You have found: Ebony Shortsword
Quality: Rare
Durability: 250/250
Damage Value: 23-27
Damage Type: Slashing
Effects: None
[Notice: End]
Trying to hold the weapon in one hand, Annabelle had to strain slightly after a few seconds, "It's a lot heavier than it looks."
The smith nodded, "Ebony is denser than most other metals, but I promise once you get used to the weight, the extra cutting power will show."
Thane nodded, "I'm sure she will, so how much for this blade?" The smith smiled, "As one of the rarer pieces in my collection, I have to start at 45 silver pieces."
"You must be trying to rob me, 35 pieces." Thane countered, crossing his arms, "My friend, a man has to eat. At most, I can lower it to 40."
Thane smiled, "As you said, you found this blade some time ago. Tell me, how many times have you tried to sell that weapon?"
The smith stiffened, "There may be some truth to your words, but I can't let such a piece go for so cheap." Thinking for a moment, Thane thought of a compromise, "I'm sure that isn't the only piece you want to get rid of. Maybe you can offer us a discount if we buy a bundle."
The man thought about it, "Okay, I'll bring it out though I doubt you would want to buy it." Nonetheless, Thane told the smith to bring it out, and a few moments later, he returned with another wrapped package.
He laid it out on the counter before tearing off the sheet and revealing what lay beneath, "I kept these as a trophy I never expected to sell them."
Thane looked at the dagger and sword lying on the table, both blades were made out of the same white ivory, and the creator must have wanted them to be used as a pair.
The sword was serrated and doubled-edged with a leather-wrapped wooden handle studded with an emerald the size of Thane's thumb. By comparison, the dagger was simpler, as it just looked like a beast fang bound to a handle.
[Notice: Start]
You have found: Nibble
Quality: Rare
Durability: 150/150
Damage Value: 20-26
Damage Type: Piercing
Effects: None
You have Found: Bite
Quality: Rare
Durability: 195/195
Damage Value: 35-40
Damage Type: Slashing
Effects: 25% chance to inflict Bleed on critical strike
[Notice: End]
Thane smiled and looked up at the smith, "How much for these two and the Ebony Shortsword." The smith sighed, "80 silver. I know it's a stretch, though I think.." Thane cut the man off by placing a single gold coin on the counter, "Will this cover it?"
The blacksmith's eyes bugged out, "That's more than enough. A single gold coin is worth 100 silver pieces!"
Thane and Annabelle looked at each other as they realized how much wealth they had. After getting sheaths and holsters for the blades, they both left with their new gear.
As they stood on the street, Annabelle fidgeted with the knife holstered to her left forearm, "Why do you ask him for an arm holster? Can't I have it on my waist like you?"
"Because you can draw your blade without drawing attention. If we get mugged, all their attention will be focused on me while you go behind them and slit their necks." Thane explained while drawing a line across his neck.
Annabelle scoffed, "I don't think I can do that. Besides, what if I cut my sleeves." Thane shrugged, "I'll show you how to draw your blade so you won't end up cutting yourself."
Sighing, Annabelle didn't know what to do when she spotted the library from before, "Come on, you can't stall any longer. We need to find out more about these Realms." Annabelle started to drag Thane towards the shop, and he let her.
When they walked inside, Annabelle looked around at the tall wooden bookshelves and sniffed the air that smelled of paper and ink. The library was always a safe space for Annabelle, separate from the outside world full of problems and noise.
"Excuse me, are there any books on cultivation?" Annabelle asked after the librarian smiled at her. The woman nodded, "On which type?" Annabelle smiled, "Both, and I may add as specific as possible."
The librarian nodded again, "Of course, I'll get those right away." Annabelle watched as she got up from the desk and navigated through the maze of bookshelves before disappearing around the corner and coming back a second later with a stack of four books which she sat on the counter.
"That will be 5 silver, please." Annabelle turned to Thane, but he had already placed the money on the counter. The librarian bowed, "Thank you for shopping at The Sphinxes Hoard. Will that be all today?"
Annabelle opened her mouth to respond, but Thane interjected, "Yeah, I would like to speak with Lilith."
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I'd like to thank my patrons for supporting my dream:
Derrick, Matt Ryan, Osmund Okorie, Joseph Suh, Zack Munson, Siddhartha Steakley, FlameFTW, Judd, kool_aid756, ryofu, Matt Campbell, Vampwalker709, and Hades.