Chương 81: 16 – The Quake Blade

She woke in the night, sweat pouring down her brow. She clasped her racing heart, fear spreading to every limb. She did not recognize this place. This soft bed. This old timber. In the moments between dream and wakefulness, she called her mana, and it answered. A blazing shield of air burst into the room. A scream shocked her into full consciousness, but the damage was already done.

"Gods be damned, Trinela!" her husband rebuked her. Small cuts covered his body. The wood of the room had been gouged like a bear had been let loose inside.

"Again? What if the boy was in here!? You'd have sliced him to ribbons!" Tears came to her eyes. She was shaking.

"I'm… sorry." Her husband sighed, glancing at the shredded blanket. It got a little better every time she had these dreams, at least. Thankfully, the room was sturdy and solidly built. It could handle a few more scrapes. So could he, as it turned out. A man could get used to anything. Even his wife turning the air into a storm of knives, after another nightmare.

"The man again?" he asked, pulling his wife into a hug. She nodded. Her husband smiled.

"Love…? You said the sword tore right through wind barriers, yes? You're the bravest woman in all Eschal, but… perhaps next time you dream of him, you could try running instead?" She snorted through hot tears and hugged her husband while she tried to forget the Tacurian Soldier and his earthquakes. She'd survived. She'd come home. She needed to get a fucking grip.

I held my breath the closer I got to the pepper pits. I had gotten used to the smell, but the pepper pits were more than that. I'd been a bit shocked to discover just how potent simply being near it could be. It clogged up the nose with phlegm, and it clogged the eyes with tears. The smell was rancid, forcing involuntary reactions even when I was expecting it. Exposed to enough, and it could actually make people choke. By that point, anyone with half a brain had already run far in the other direction.

Ever since discovering that bell peppers were actually diluting the formula, Mom had managed to make the weapon even stronger. I honestly didn't know if I'd have been able to stand making all of this, but Mom had endured. Fortunately, we'd almost exhausted the hill and the surrounding area's supply of peppers. They did grow here, but they were difficult plants that preferred warmer weather than this.

As such, almost everyone had a few growing in their gardens for the flavors and spices they added to meals, and not much else. Even if we wanted to make more of the stuff, we'd probably have to wait until next spring. I arrived to find three wagons loaded down with the barrels. Three remained with us. The spray would run out quickly since it was easy to refill, but the paste had to be loaded into clay balls and fired, which Mom could do right here without a furnace, kiln, or anything.

But she could only make so many at a time. Being in this place certainly wasn't helping her mood much either. Giving up so much stock of a proven weapon nagged at me a bit, but if I was being honest, we simply didn't have the manpower to use more than a single barrel of the paste.

"Miss Elmerina," a soldier said as I approached. I didn't know him, but he seemed to know me. He actually gave a small bow as I got closer. Weird.

"Hello there. What's your name?" I asked.

"Semalmas Soldier evim Butler," he replied as he lifted from the bow. He had sharp black hair that was only just beginning to show signs of gray. His face was narrow, but smooth, showing he had somehow managed to shave this morning. His uniform seemed a bit more tidy than most soldiers I'd met.

"Oh! Are you originally from the city?" I asked excitedly. He nodded.

"I was raised to be a Butler in Tacuria. I was the second servant to House Meldovir, in the capital before I decided to join the army."

"That's quite a change," I said. He nodded.

"It certainly has been. For the most part, I enjoyed the military until this war started. Now, I find myself hauling the most vile concoctions." I winced.

"Uhm. Sorry about that." He shook his head.

"No need to apologize. I'm not complaining. Even this is better than the city." My eyes widened. That said something, right there. This man was as upper-class as a peasant could get, and he thought fighting war trolls and goblins was better than life in the capital?

"That doesn't paint a pretty picture of the capital, sir," I said.

"I'd always wanted to see it." He frowned.

"Sorry, but I'd rethink that dream, were I you. The place has become unbearable for us regular folk. But, perhaps, my experience is not representative of all citizens of Tacuria," he said. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I eyed him. Even in a soldier's garb, this man did not strike me as 'regular folk.' His voice was more polished than a politician from April's world.

Still, he wasn't a noble, and perhaps the difference was even more stark when he lived right near it.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, hoping to end the conversation.

"Between you and me, I've never been happier than since I left. Even with the war," he added. His need bubble had appeared, and I took a moment to glance at it. Nothing special. Needed something leather, thread, and metal to protect himself from goblins. Another vest, most likely, but I could probably gather the supplies with a trip to Tom's hut… well. Shit. Tom was hurt, and Oxana was gone… I'd have to find one of the other hunters.

"I've seen a battle or two now. I'd like to stay as far away from them as possible," I replied.

"I can't imagine leaving the city to go to, well, this." I gestured towards the barrels of paste and liquid.

"That's because you haven't been to the city. Trust me, Lass. You don't want to go there," he said somberly.

"Most people who live there dream of a life in the country, in a place like this."

"Funny. Most people who live here dream of what it might be like in the city," I told him. I wasn't lying either. That posh tone of voice he had couldn't have gone over well with the soldiers in the army. If he found this life preferable, being a butler in Tacuria must be a shithole indeed. He was about to respond, but I quickly interrupted him.

"Have you seen the Captain? I've got some supplies for him."

"Right. He's up that way, talking with the lady of the property," he said.

"Pleasant talking with you." I beamed at him and turned to head towards the front of the small wagon train. Surprisingly, all the soldiers greeted me by name and nodded to me as I passed. Ma'am, or Young Miss, or Miss Elmerina, from each of them. I wondered if Berkenem planned it to get me to feel better about the military. If so, it didn't work. It disturbed me a little.

"Mera, there you are," Berkenem said.

"And here you are," I replied.

"Did you get the things I asked for?" He nodded and handed me a massive bag of loose rock and another filled with ether dust. I struggled to hold the first bag and painstakingly threw it over my shoulder.

"Alright. I'm going to haul this back up the house and get working on your craft. Shouldn't take long," I said.

"Gods, though. This would be way too heavy without my strength boosted!"

"Was it enough?" he asked, worriedly.

"Should be plenty! I'll be back in just a minute." I began walking back toward the house, away from the soldiers. Something about Berkenem told me that I'd need my privacy for this one. Most people didn't need big things. They needed to stay alive, and my talent crafted them the thing that best suited that. Mom had been different. She'd wanted to grow. Wanted to expand herself in a way she never really had before.

She also wanted to protect me, but I was beginning to suspect that might be a full-time job in the coming years, especially if my talent's rank ever became common knowledge. My talent's grandiose display when I crafted the fire magic book seemed to reflect that. I got the same sort of feeling from Berkenem's need bubble, and the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Berkenem was a captain, and a young one at that. Where Maulander had taken, he had come with coin.

Where others might've called a job well done when the troll was dead, Berkenem had taken the time to come to me and personally apologize. His need to kill a winged one wasn't for himself. He had to protect his platoon from it. Something in the need bubble felt more vivid. I reached the house where I'd stored the supplies I'd gathered, and put the sack of rocks and the ether dust down next to them, before the need bubble flared to life in my mind. I chose it, and I wasn't disappointed.

Rock immediately lifted into the air. I blanched as it hovered throughout the room, just sitting there, a thousand tiny stones pulled from the beach or the woods. Some smooth. Some rough. Red and purple light filled the room with an eerie glow, while the light from Big Brother seemed to dim in comparison. The ingots came out next. Fedenat had raised the damn price on them. I was nearly rich now, but I didn't want to let that go to my head, so I'd haggled him down as far as I could get him to go.

I'd had to promise him to tell that damn story about the cat and two dogs finding their way home again, even though it made me sad every time! Still, he'd parted with them for a reasonable price. He might regret that in the coming months. The ingots lined themselves up vertically. A floating rock slammed into the iron. Then another. Another. Loud clangs echoed around the house as more and more rocks pelted the iron, beating it into shape. And it molded under their assault, warping into a beautiful blade.

I winced at the loud noise, but there wasn't much I could do about it. More and more rocks pelted the blade into shape, while the wood lifted up off the ground. Far more wood than was necessary morphed into a grip, while etherdust swirled around a final ingot, becoming a pommel and crossguard. I'd finally guessed what my talent would make correctly, as the blade slotted perfectly into the hilt, before slowly descending into my open hands.

High Quality Longsword Effect 1: Earth Magic channelled through this weapon can affect the sea. Effect 2: Earth Magic channelled through this weapon can affect the sky.

"Wh-whoa…" I gasped. I'd never seen Earth magic used. Even at the battle south of Mitoras, I hadn't seen any examples of it. Berumetat was known for its earth magic, in the same way Tacuria was known for fire, but I'd never met anyone with an aptitude for it. Until now? It seemed Berkenem was a Terramancer.

"My lady!" I heard a sudden scream of alarm.

"Are you alright!?" The door was pushed open so hard it came free of its lower hinge, crumpling as the captain charged into the room.

"Uhm. S-sorry about that," I said.

"My talent can be… loud sometimes." To his credit, Berkenem didn't even glance at the sword.

"Thank the gods you're okay. When I heard those noises I thought… well I'm not sure what I thought!" he exclaimed.

"No need to worry. I'm fine! And here! Take a look at this!" I said, handing him the new sword, being careful not to cut myself on the sharp blade. As soon as he touched it and read its effects, his eyes widened.

"Mera!" Mom shouted, following just a few footsteps behind the armored captain. She took in the scene at a glance as we both looked to her. Worry and fear evaporated, replaced by irritation at the door.

"You're fixing that, captain."