Ch.8 - The First Weapon

Xavier found himself in an endless void once again. Trying to figure out what was going on again he began walking around the void before feeling a pain in his chest. Looking down he saw a faint light emitting from within himself. The voice from the first time rang out with an echo. "You have taken the first step in grasping your potential. When you wake up seek out the one-armed blacksmith. He will be a most useful ally for you as he understands metals like none other. Now my child arise." Xavier shot up gasping for air clutching his chest the pain while faint still lingered. He looked around unsure about what his dream meant but decided to keep it in the back of his mind just in case it was important. Seeing his teammates unconscious on the ground still asleep Xavier waited as he watched the morning sunrise.

After the sun had already crested and rose above the horizon the others began to wake up. First Sintarra who then woke Ethan, which led to an argument about the importance of sleep which in turn woke Tyler. After everyone was fully awake the group made their way to the feast hall where they found Sara and Devi already eating at the main feast table. The group joined them and everyone ate their fill from all the different foods spread in front of them. Eventually the conversation everyone was having came to the subject of magic and levels. "So let me ask a question quickly. If people of this world can use magic and get magic and weapons assigned to them how come you need to summon woken?" Tyler asked immediately putting a cinnamon bun into his mouth afterwards. Ethan answered his question as best he could. "It is because of our limited potential. Not everyone gets elements and weapons they are suited for so they can't go beyond just basic skills. For example, if you don't get an element you can only use none element-based spells and if you don't get a weapon you gain no skills with it. Woken however gain skills and stats outside of just that so they can grow stronger fast with little worry of reaching a wall in their potential growth. Basically, if this was a chessboard we'd all be set-pieces but the woken would be pawns starting weak but with the potential to become whatever they desire."

Xavier began to understand that even the fact he didn't have a weapon or element he still had the potential to at least get stats higher than the average person in this world. That meant that as long as he focused on raising his stats with the absorption skill he has he could at the least not be useless to everyone. "So then basically we are more like monsters than people?" Asked Sara not afraid to challenge Ethan's Statement. Sintarra stared Sara down for a moment before asking in return. "What are you on about of course not. You wouldn't be helping us and fighting them otherwise. Now hurry and eat up everyone I wanna get out into the city before Rachel-" "Before Rachel does what?" Sintarra was cut off and turning around seen Rachel with a hand placed on her hip and her eyebrows furrowed in a menacing glare. "Before Rachel nothings." Sintarra turned back around at stuffed all her food into her mouth and kept herself quiet for the rest of the meal. Rachel was informed that they were planning to visit the city and she decided she wasn't going to go with them. "Finally I can have some peace here while you're all away and busy." Was how she put it exactly.

"So if everyone is ready we can head there now and make our way to the city center before we shop around." Sintarra smiled ready to go out already but Ethan shook his head. "Need to ask the king if Xavier can use a weapon from the armoury still remember." Sintarra didn't bother giving Ethan an answer as he already knew the answer. The group got up to head to the king's throne room where he would aside from Rachel who stayed behind to eat her breakfast. Once they got to the door Ethan turned to Tyler and Xavier. "Please wait out here while I attempt to convince the king." Xavier and Tyler agreed but were both a bit confused as to why they needed to wait. After some time had passed Ethan returned through the door. "He agreed to it under the condition you prove you can use the weapon so that you don't take something expensive and sell it."

Xavier nodded in response to Ethan's words. "Understandable, should I get a weapon now so that I may get gear better suited for that weapon?" Tyler spoke up as well. "I agree with Xavier, there is no sense in buying something heavy for armour if he uses a dagger or bow and arrows." Ethan nodded and looked to Sintarra. "I'll lead you guys there and Ethan can catch up after he has something to do for now." sintarra interjected before anyone else could say anything. The group left Ethan standing at the door to the king's throne room still and after going through several halls and passing different rooms with apprentice bishops in them they then found what appeared to be storerooms.

The first one that Xavier spotted seemed to be full of different plants and powders amongst a bunch of shelves. The next one was pointed out by Devi as it was filled with clothes, sheets, rags and pillows as she said it was a good place for secret naps. The one that they were there for was next as they turned the corner to find a doorway at the end of the hall that opened up to a storeroom larger than the last two combined. "Here is the armoury, you must test each and every weapon you wish to use before I'll allow you to leave otherwise Ethan and I will be in plenty of trouble. It should also go without saying you can only have one when you leave as well." With a nod, Xavier strode into the room filled with weapons and looked around. He was unsure what to choose so he began to pick up weapons one at a time.

He started by lifting a longsword and trying to swing it with both hands but it felt too hefty to him currently. He moved down to an arming sword but that while feeling good in one hand felt a bit too awkward in both. Lifting a pair of daggers Xavier slashed the air in front of him and was surprised they moved so fast but he wasn't going to settle just yet. He lifted an elegant oak longbow and knocked an arrow aiming at a target dummy and released the arrow. He raised several more arrows one after the other and was disappointed to see only three of the eight arrows in the dummy across the room. Xavier noticed some wands and staffs so he tried using some magic with them. Raising them Xavier focused all his will into each one he attempted to use but it was all to no avail. Finally, Xavier noticed a weapon the looked too familiar yet completely alien to him. He raised a fair-length blade that was slightly curved and inspected it over. Xavier noticed gaps like teeth near the crossguard on the blade about three inches up the blade and how as the blade reached the tip it slightly thinned a bit. He began to swing the blade and let it flip out of his hand across his arm before it dropped and he caught it again with his opposite hand.

"This is the weapon for me. I can feel it perfectly in my hand from pommel to tip it feels amazing. It is balanced with a good length. What sword is this?" Sintarra looked a bit shocked when he looked up at her and she stammered a bit. "It isn't a sword. At least not official it was a concept design from a blacksmith in the city and it was rejected. He wanted to make a blade he had seen in another country and a sword breaker from our country into one blade. It was refused though because it was too dangerous to let a blade come down the outside of the curve to try and catch it in the teeth." Xavier shook his head and looked around finding the scabbard for it attached to a belt and he put it on sheathing the blade. "We can let the king know I picked this one and I will prove that it works." As he finished Ethan entered the room and noticed the blade on Xavier's hip. "You found one? Okay, let's go show the king and see if he approves it."

Sintarra took off after Ethan and had a whispered Discussion with him while Tyler and Devi spoke together about foods that they enjoyed. Xavier however was just happy that something to him finally felt right after waking up in that cold dark chamber a few days before. To Xavier, this was his first true step to becoming a hero for the land he was now in.