Soul Mender - (Zeria and Stryker only)

A drop of sweat strayed down from her brow, trickling down her face. It was hot today, and she’d been hard at work. She’d travelled through all of the nearby towns and sent the word out. There were posters and bulletins posted, and all said the same thing. That a blacksmith was looking for someone of able body and mind who could do two jobs for a very high pay. The first job was to acquire a list of certain materials from Valskrun Peak, a volcano that was known for having rare ores and metals around and in it. The second job was to act as a trainer for combat skills to the very same blacksmith. Not many details were given. Only the jobs, the location of where the blacksmith was in a small town of Renport, and a very high sum listed as pay with a note that the sum could be potentially increased depending on who came. Anyone who knew of the volcano knew that it was insanely dangerous to go up there, and the chances of living even for a powerful fire mage were slim.

~

The woman smiled and started for home, waving to a group of fisherman as she passed by them.

“Any good catches today?”

The older men gave her a thumbs up, grins on their faces.

“The catchin’ has been real good, Smithee!”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll have to stop by later and pick up some fresh fish from your stand”

Zeria reached back and tightened her ponytail, securing the cherry-colored locks into place as she walked through the door of her home, leaving it open behind her. She always left it open when her services were available, and she knew that the Blacksmith sign over her door would direct anyone to her. She put her things down and headed for the wash basin, grabbing a rag to wipe the sweat off her body.

“That’s better…now…to get to work…”

She sat down at her work bench, prepping her materials. Her forge was hot and ready. She only had to finish up this one job, and she was caught up with her work. With a smile, she grabbed the longsword she’d been asked to do, sticking it in the fire and letting it heat up. While she let it do so, she grabbed her trusty hammer from the rack it hung on, and checked herself over. Nothing out of place. Her cloth shirt was tucked in and held in place by her leather bodice, pants were tucked into her knee high boots, and her hair was already pulled back. She slid her gloves on, then pulled the longsword from the fire, laying it on the anvil, and getting to work, pounding it into shape with her hammer. The clinking echoed out, the sound hearable from the streets.

Norik hated the heat. No, scratch that. Norik absolutely dispised the hot weather that beated down on him after the cooling charms placed on them wore off. His baggy clothes and baggage were already quite warm for a man of his size, but under the sorching sun with little cover on the road, he found himself in need of stopping, otherwise he ran the risk of dehydrating. He had hoped to make good ground towards the nearest town, he heard they were preparing for a fair and that meant his goods would have a higher chance of being sold. The life of a traveling mage wasn't bad, but it also wasn't luxurious. It was the life he had chosen, a choice that had eventually doomed his soul. Even now the mage felt the taint of the demon seeping through his skin, accompanying the beating of his heart.

"I will have to stop for now and maybe continue during the night..." He wondered to him, looking around for a place to stay temporarily. That was when he spotted a small village, it was closer and probably possessed an inn and someone who would be interested on his wares. With rest, warm food and perhaps some money in mind, the man made his way towards the village.

It was only later that he arrive, from the position of the sun he could tell it was almost midday and he hoped to avoid the sun when it was on its highest point. The village was simple, but had a cozy atmosphere that reminded the man of his own home. The first building he spotted was the Blacksmith. He would need to replace some of his old tools and perhaps ask for information. The man walked into the house, the sound metal hitting metal echoing on his ears. He knocked 3 times against the wooden door.

"Good morning."

He wore a dark blue pants, simple white shirt with a midnight cloak and a hood hiding his face. On his back he carried a bag and a harness with 2 staves.

Zeria took a moment to breathe, wiping the sweat from her brow. Just that longsword was left, and she would be caught up on all of her work. She smiled, going back to hammering away. She was just putting the weapon into the water, the steam rising from the barrel, when she heard a voice call out. She took her gloves off, putting them on the proper rack, and turned to the archway to face whomever was coming.

"Come on in!"

She was most definitely a sight to behold. Her lean form was clad in leather breeches tucked into leather boots, and a cotton shirt that was bound with a leather bodice and arm guards. Her hair was the color of fresh cherries, pulled back into a ponytail that reached just past her buttocks. Her eyes were a vivid yellow. And on her face were some black markings, ones that placed her as a demon. She was covered in soot and dirt and sweat from working, but she didn't seem to notice or care. She was smiling wide as Norik entered her forge.

"Welcome! What can I do for you?"

The sight that met Norik was not one he was expecting, nor was one he had ever seen. When he thought about a blacksmith, the image of a burly man of great muscle and abrasive personality came to mind. It seemed to fit most of the blacksmiths he met during his travels. So imagine his surprise when a red-haired maiden greeted him, covered in soot and dressed for working at the forge.


"H-hello, I am in need of services and information." The woman was also quite beautiful, even when covered in the ashes of her work he could still see it and was a bit flustered. He actually froze for a second, staring at her whilst trying to process the situation, before coughing lightly to recompose himself.

"Appologies for my rude behavior. My name is Norik."

Zeria smiled, trying not to chuckle at the man's shocked expression. Yup. He'd never seen a female blacksmith before. She got that look a lot. She waited for him to snap out of it, approaching him and extending a hand to shake his.

"I'm Zeria Iiyasei, the blacksmith here in Renport. Pleasure to meet you, sir"

She shook his hand, then stepped back.

"Services and info, huh? Well, I can do my best to help you. What exactly do you need? I'm happy to point you to anyone who can help with the right info or services if smithing isn't what you need"

Norik prevent himself from sighing in relief. With the surprise gone from his mind he could think more clearly, shaking the woman's hand and commiting her name to memory. The traveling mage thought about asking for an inn first, his body needed the rest, but first he needed to take care of his business.

"Some of my working tools are in need or repairs, others must be replaced. As for information, I just wanted to know where the nearest inn is located. I've travelled a long way from the south and need some rest before my body rebels against me."

He walked to the nearest table, placing his staves to the side as he placed his bag on top of it and took his tools, objects meant for carving wood and stone alike and shape them as he wished. There was also a small dagger. All looked very used and the dagger itself was chipped.

"There is also this..." Norik spoke as he took a sword from under his cloak. The sword looked beaten, its repetitive use showing.