Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Home Sweet Home

After the initial intrusive voice, the dagger lay quiescent in my hand. Given the amount of money we were spending, the shop keep was generous enough to offer a scabbard that would fit the blade, which was just long enough to be closer to a short sword in my hand. 

As we walked to the cart system, tired and ready for an evening sleep before our final delve, Justice explained that possessed items that were unused didn’t usually have enough power to converse without being communed with, or until they’ve been powered by whatever fuels their ambition. So sleep was the order of the day.

In my hands now, it was more or less a dead blade. But as I gained experience, the spirit imprinted would also gain power. If it gained enough, it would be able to fight me for control of my body. If it gained enough, then when I died or relinquished it, the blade could possess anyone who picked it up next. 

There was a story, because there are always stories about things strong enough to enslave or kill mammalian sentients, of a rapier that had possessed an entire bloodline of royals for decades, passed from parent to child for years. It had only been detected when the blade had pierced a ward that a god had supposedly bestowed on a church. The story usually went on to describe the massacre that followed trying to wrangle the possessed weapon away from its victims. 

Justice said that the lore in the game was no more helpful than the story I knew myself, but that sentient weapons were only in this game, and in the prequel game. Apparently, using the two possessed weapons she knew about were the only ways to get the special bad endings for each of the games. 

She asked me to tell her if I felt any concern that I would lose my mind. I promised that I’d do my best, but no promises.

I told myself that all I needed was for the blade to see me through stopping a war. My personal wellbeing was secondary. 

It was a relief to see my apartment. While we’d stopped to pick up some food that would last in my cold box for a few hours, we both were tired from the fight and the shopping. 

I unlocked my door and stepped inside.  

Someone was already there, shocked by our sudden appearance, their hand in the process of pulling apart one of my stacks of important documents. 

Dark eyed and dark bearded, the dwarf was well armored but in a non-descript jacket and boots, claiming no allegiance to a guild. I certainly didn’t recognize them. 

They reached for their weapon before I did. I gave a quick, “Spells ready, Justice!” as I darted in hoping to catch the invader before they were fully armed. 

A boot caught me in the side and threw me across the room, into the fabric screens separating my small bathroom from the rest of the room. My head spun. I needed a moment, but I needed to get up more, needed to defend myself so I clawed my way out of the shattered partitions and along the wall away from my new assailant, further into the room. I heard a yelp from Justice and skitted to a stop with my weapons finally drawn to face the second attacker. 

Justice was by the front door still blinking away the bright light outside, or possibly recovering from being struck in the head. The second home invader was big, easily six and a half feet tall, and built like someone who was bred for hurting people. They had a hand grasping Justice’s forearm, their hand big enough to wrap around it. He spoke in a deep voice, “Kill it quick. We want the boy.”

The Dwarf had followed me, having pulled out a mace and a folding buckler. I threw one of my daggers to slow them down long enough to move sideways away from the wall. I pulled another dagger as they charged me, mace raised in a sweep. I raced in, rather than dodge, and my blade approaching their ribs caused them to drop the mace down to protect themself. 

The buckler instead hit my face but I hooked that arm with my own and a blade held in reverse, so their motion carried me along. My weight on their arm startled him and the blade I’d begun to  shove at their ribs instead ended up in their armpit. 

They grunted and yanked away from me. I was still seeing a little double from the buckler and boot, but the buckler arm was practically hanging limp, no longer defensive. They were backing away from me too, which allowed me to see the big invader had stumbled back from a flash of light, dragging Justice further into the room. Justice’s free hand was glowing again, but I didn’t have time to see what happened.

The dwarf pulled a vial from a pocket, having let the mace go limp on a strap around their wrist. They tossed it at my feet as I leapt several meters away. The roar of fire followed in my wake as I ended up near my kitchen goods. I threw another dagger at the dwarf, and it deflected off their armor. I pulled a drawer open and began throwing all my kitchen knives at the dwarf as they tried to advance once through the fire. 

One of the blades finally stuck in the upper half to the shoulder I’d already shoved a blade under, and they whimpered. 

I could Discern they were worried. I advanced, dodging around the fire that was once my dirty clothes pile, the air filling with smoke.  As they backed away, they tripped over my short table and fell. I fell on them, my remaining blade stabbing twice into the vulnerable area just above where their armor ended at their collarbone. A Guidance screen popped up to the side and I heard a voice go, “Ah, good job.” I ignored both. 

My gaze flicked back to where Justice was fending off blows from the big guy. The intruder glimmered oddly in the spreading fire.  I saw her eyes flick to me for just a second, and silently switched from defending to offense. 

The big human seemed to realize just at that time that something was wrong, but I was hacking ankle he’d stepped back with. They started to fall, but Justice threw both hands forward and said a few arcane words. There was a clap of thunder and the man flew backwards over my table and into the fire.

Instead of simply rolling off and patting out a few flames, he was immediately engulfed with the blaze. He screamed and tried to pushed himself up to his feet but stumbled and fell off to the side, the flames following him. It was a gruesome sight, and he quickly stopped screaming and lost consciousness. 

I deeply sympathized, having been nearly burned to death last night.

I looked at Justice who appeared sickly, even given the firelight’s distortion, and she said, “I used Grease to get him off me.” She glanced momentarily at the purple screen that floated next to her head as well then dismissed it. 

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“I see. We need to go. This fire is just going to attract more attention.” I sheathed my own blade and recovered one blade from when I was throwing them wildly. I was a little concerned that it had been the sentient weapon I landed the killing blow with.

“Ye.. yeah.”

I led us out of our building, across the roof and towards a small jump to a different one. As we looked for a way down, I read the Guidance screen I’d received. 

• •    -      -

You have found an alternative communion with the possessed weapon in your keeping. 

“Killing an authority figure or agent of a nation or power that you are subject to.”

Communion with Katarachin’s Victory grants: 

+3 Brawn

+2 Muscle

{Bold Movements}

{Killing Blows}

{Firebrand}

{Exhaustive Endurance}

{Geologic}

Katarachin’s Victory may be recalled at will within { 100 } feet.

You can turn this weapon into magical or non-magical damage at will

More features may be possible with closer attunement.

Katarachin’s victory may attempt to control your mind once a day.

• • -     -

“Not bad, eh, little one? Let’s work together, mm? We could do so much, and I sense your current work is not one of meager importance. The greater the task, the more benefits to reap, as my brothers in the field would say.”

The deep voice sounded like it came just from behind my skull, a low rumble that had an accent I could hardly place. 

I thought loudly as I climbed down a drainage pipe after Justice, *Are you able to read my thoughts?* 

“No, not as such, not quite. I can hear ones directed at me, or particularly loud ponderings. I glean only enough to speak your language.”

*Then I respectfully request you stop distracting me while we seek shelter.*

“Ha,  fair dues and Harenhot’s speed, little one.”

Justice and I ran to the end of the next alley before mixing into the crowd, muttering to one another our next move. The sky opened up and began sprinkling the streets, both of us pulling up our hoods like we had nothing to hide.

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