The blade will take more than it gives if you're not strong enough.
The square was in glaring contrast to the serene streets just traversed. Villagers stood in little groups indistinctly, their worried babbling floated around. At the center of the commotion stood three figures clad in dark, weathered cloaks. Their heads were covered with hoods, but their mental stress was so clear they were impossible to ignore. One of them held a long staff, its top crowned with a jagged crystal that glowed faintly.
Mercenaries'," Lira said, its hand touching at the dagger on her belt. "The bad kind."
Kael's grip on his sword tightened. "What do they want?"
Lira shrugged, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd. "Power, probably. Control. People take them to villages like this only if they think there will be something to take away, for instance.
Just then, the man with the staff stepped forward, and the man's voice piped through the murmuring. Citizens of Stonebridge, he started, his voice conciliatory, powerful, "we're from the Order of the Veil, he continued. Your village is within our territorial control and it's time you helped the common good.
A ripple of unease spread through the crowd. An older man stepped forward, his weathered face lined with worry. "We don't have much to give, he said, his voice trembling. "The harvest was poor this year, and—"
The mercenary cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Enough. We're not here for excuses. You will provide what we ask, or the consequences will be severe.
Kael felt a surge of anger boil within him. He had seen this kind of cruelty before, in the palace and in the streets. The powerful hunting the powerless, employing fear as a tool. He looked toward Lira, who observed the action in a blend of anxiety and planning.
"We have to do something, Kael said under his breath.
Lira's gaze flicked to him. Or what are you going to achieve, for that matter? Take on all three of them by yourself?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "If I have to."
She sighed, shaking her head. "You're either brave or stupid. Maybe both." Then, after a pause, she added, "Fine. But we do this smart. Follow my lead."
Before Kael could respond, Lira stepped into the open, her confident stride drawing the attention of everyone in the square. "You're awfully bold, coming into a village like this and making demands, she called out, her voice sharp and cutting. "Don't you think it's a bit beneath you?"
The one with the staff turned to her, rigid. "And who might you be?"
Lira smirked. "Someone who doesn't take kindly to bullies. Why don't you just pack up and go and leave before it gets too nasty?
The mercenaries chuckled, the sound low and menacing. "You've got spirit," the leader said. "But spirit alone won't save you."
Kael moved to Lira's side, drawing the Starforged Blade. The metallic ring of the sword exiting its scabbard made the square fall silent. The villagers drew in sharp breaths, pupils dilated as they saw the weapon shimmer faintly and weirdly.
"Maybe not," Kael said, his voice steady. "But this might."
The mercenary leader's eyes narrowed, the crystal on his staff flaring briefly. "Interesting. It seems we've stumbled upon something far more valuable than a few sacks of grain. He raised his staff, the air around it crackling with energy. "Take them."
The two other mercenaries barreled toward it, fast and well practiced. Kael barely had time to react as the first one swung a curved blade at his head. He got low, the blade singing, leaving little room to manoeuvre and returned swung with a devious, elegant counter. The Starforged Blade buzzed in contact with the mercenary's sword, pulverizing it on impact. The man stumbled back, his expression twisting in shock.
Lira, meanwhile, moved like a shadow. Her dagger glinted while she parried the second mercenary and slipped around his guards to inflict a vicious kick to his side. He grunted, staggering to the side.
Kael redirected his attention back to his foe, who had regained the strength to draw a blade from his belt. The mercenary charged again, but this time, Kael was prepared. He parried the assault and swung the Starforged Blade in a sweeping arc. The blade didn't just cut—it seemed to ripple with energy, knocking the mercenary off his feet and sending him sprawling to the ground.
The leader frowned, his staff glowing brighter. "Enough of this. He pointed the staff at Kael, a bolt of crackling energy surging toward him.
Kael instinctively drew his sword, and the blade took in the energy with a flash of light. The force of the impact sent him sliding back, his boots digging into the dirt to keep him steady.
The system's voice rang out in his mind.
[Energy absorbed. Host synchronization increased by 5%.]
Kael gritted his teeth, the weight of the sword suddenly feeling less burdensome. He made one step, then a second, the Starforged Blade flashing ever brighter as he walked.
"Is that all you've got? Kael taunted, his voice firm.
The head's pupils dilated and for the first time in his life Kael witnessed a flicker of fear across the head's morphed features. "You don't know what you're dealing with, the man growled. However, his bravado broke when Kael drew the blade, which blade cast long shadows across the square.
"Maybe not," Kael said. "But I'm learning."
On a flood of energy, Kael traversed the distance, his blade a channel in the air. The mercenary chief's ward barely beat the blow back with his staff, with depositing sparks. Kael pressed the attack, his movements faster and more precise than he'd ever thought possible.
The fight ended as quickly as it began. Kael disarmed the leader with a final, decisive strike, the staff clattering to the ground. The other mercenaries, after observing their leader get beaten, ran off without a sound, leaving the clearing and into the woods.
Standing in the centre of the square, Kael's lungs retched, his heartbeat thundered in the stillness and his adrenaline wave receded. The villagers erupted into cheers, their fear replaced by relief. Lira clapped him on the shoulder, a wry smile on her face.
"Not bad," she said. "For a guy who's still figuring things out."
Kael sheathed his sword, the blade's glow fading. "Thanks," he said, though his mind was already racing. The mercenaries had mentioned the Order of the Veil. Whoever they were, they weren't just ordinary thugs. And Kael knew this isn't going to be the end of it (how many times he'd face them).
As the villagers began to disperse, Kael looked to Lira. "What now?"
She grinned, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Now? We figure out what kind of mess we just landed in," together.