Knockout!

I should thank Ariel for being a chatty kind of God; as it turned out, it was him blabbering to Pyre during breakfast that let the old man know what kind of man, and more importantly, what kind of weapon, I was up against. The deity that follows us explained it to me while our little group headed over towards the local library; a request I had made due to how agitated I was at how I still couldn't read the written language.

I look down at the three design diagrams Pyre had handed to me; each one showing a different variants of the hook weapon I had decided on. The kind I had seen in my guest room was a recreation from that far off that land of samurai... I should ask what it's name is.

"Hey, Cilla. Do you know the name of the archipelago I'm heading for?" I ask, still looking down at the diagrams.

Her face lights up at the chance to spout more random facts. "Yokong, I believe. Is that all?"

I nod, taking in the information, then looking to the next design. This design was the original. Heavy, and brutish. While the recreation was meant to work similarly to a weapon called a 'kusarigama', this was clearly the weapon of a large monster of some sort. The hook was just that, a massive, weighty, pointed hook. Unlike the recreation, it had no blade to it, relying instead on an equally weighty shortsword used in the other hand; its design akin to that of a massive butchers knife.

Looking between the designs, the 'bracing' I had seen was always the same. Rather than what I had assumed to be large braces that clasp to the bicep, it was is actually a complex mechanism that retracts the chains around the arm. It seemed to use the movement of the arm muscles as a sort of trigger, making it so when you pulled back your arm; the chain would retract and cover your arm. The examples of the weapon in use on each diagram showed armored men, lacking any such defense around the hook arm; instead, the chains themselves served as armor once retraced.

The final diagram seemed to lack any real knowledge, but the image was of a dark, refined, and elegant version of the original; with text I couldn't read above the picture of a rather eerie, yet regal looking figure...

"Cilla, what does this say?" I ask, leaning down and pointing to the words.

She takes hold of the paper, reading aloud. "The variant of the infamous hooks of the horde used by Thedo the Warmaker."

Cilla hands it back to me, saying. "Seems to be a magical version of the weapon. I've heard of that man, a human master Artificer who joined the Dark. He invented many a horrid tool of slaughter. He died around two hundred years ago, with his fortress workshop having vanished."

"Thanks..." I say, trying to not simply nod at everything; I noticed I do that a lot.

A magical variant... but Pyre specializes in non-magical equipment, and this seems to be a one of a kind weapon. Unless... did he want me to try and find this old weapon? Get me interested in some legendary artifact?

Finally we arrive at the library, looking the same as it had before when we were being shown around the town last night.

Ashes dashed over to an old elvish woman, who seemed to be the librarian, saying. "Hi Misses Hush!"

"Shhh..." Is all Misses Hush says, pointing to a sign; which I presume says 'no shouting'.

The interior of the library is reasonably sized given it's purpose. There are a wide variety of styles of bookshelves, holding book after book. A spiralling staircase leads to a pseudo-second floor, which looms above halfway; railing keeping people from falling back down to the first floor.

The next three hours were a non-stop cramming session; learning the written word with Cilla as my guide. Once I had gotten a grasp on reading, I had selected a book of interest to me.

'Magic for Morons, an Introduction to the Twin Hearts.'

Finally, I get to understand how those spells I used actually work...

"That books for kids..." A sheepish, high pitched whisper says above me.

Looking up and to my right, on the second floor, I see a girl with glasses, brown hair tied into a ponytail, and pointed ears. She wears a light brown vest over a white, long sleeve shirt, a skirt which matches her vest which comes down to her knees, a pair of simple black shoes, and white stockings rising up to her knees. Atop her head is an enormous pointed hat with a very wide brim, matching the color of her vest, which folds down to one side due to its own weight. Her eyes, however, are an oddity. Each time she blinks, their coloration changes; but never do the two eyes match.

"Nerd alert! Nerd alert!" Urge mocks; I can practically hear him sticking his tongue out as he speaks.

Once she notices I heard her, she freezes up in fear; I can hear her heart trying to pound out of her chest.

"Eep!" She squeaks out, still whispering. "Don't eat me!"

I tilt my head in confusion, saying. "Why would I eat you? I just had breakfast."

"That's not funny!" She whisper screams at me.

"It kinda is." Says Ashes, who suddenly pops up behind the girl.

"EEP!" The mousey girl squeals, falling over; then looking to our newest friend. "Ash... do... do you that th... guy. That guy?"

"Yeah, Zana. He's great!" Ashes exclaims.

Misses Hush lets out a horrifying, deafening. "Shhh!"

Wait, this girl is clumsy, sheepish...

"Are you a Sorcerer?" I ask in a hushed tone.

Zana pulls her massive hat over her head, her muffled voice whispering. "He can read minds..."

"No, he just talked to my dad; and you know how he is." Ashes picks the poor girl up, dusting her off. "Don't be scared of Monster, despite his looks, his name, his looks, how he's an assassin, his looks... he's a nice guy."

Ashes gives me the most smug look I think is even possible, as if to say 'got yah' in ten different languages.

Shaking off the thought, I ask this Zana. "Well, do you know much about magic? I'm trying to learn how it works."

"Uh..." She mutters something out.

"Ok... if Ash says you aren't scary, I guess I can help..."