The morning dew formed on the greeneries around Aria as she practiced with her new weapon. With every swings, dews floated into the air; with every steps, grasses swayed to the wind; and with every leaps, Aria danced to the rhythm of her blades. Her movements struck awe into the onlookers and when she was done, they clapped at her graceful performance.
"You look like a morning fairy that dances to signal the beginning of the day." Gunther walked towards Aria who was standing in the middle of an unclaimed land located in the Northern part of Lapis. "You woke up before the sun rises and does some intense work out that many adults would have complained. Well, that would also explain your performance in the last expedition."
"Indeed. You have incredible magic and battle sense. Topping them up with such weapons, your lethality will rise to another level." Elisia followed closely behind Gunther as she approached Aria as well. "Perhaps, I should learn a thing or two from you. I am bad in close quarter combat and my only redeeming feature is my high magical capabilities."
"Sure, I can teach you, but isn't Gunther more experienced than me and he wields a sword as well. I think he is a better teacher than me." Aria wiped off her sweat and sheathed her dual blades made up of the Jaggi and part of the Great Jaggi called Jaggid Shotels. They are a pair of beautiful inward-curving blades that resembled claws while their hand guards were woven with the tough Jaggi hide. They had claws dotting the left blade to create a serrated look while the right blade had a singular hook-claw. The handles were made of minerals covered in scales and polished for ease of grip and at the end of each handle, huge claw was attached.
"Gunther uses his strength and big movements to attack. It is something he learned from his late master and it is not suitable for me since I lack the strength to execute the attacks. I believe that as fellow girls, your fighting styles will be better suited for me."
"Hahaha, my master was quite the character. Elisia tried to learn from him as well, but after a month or so, my master just blatantly told her to give up and she cried for the whole night."
"Gunther... Telling her such embarrassing story is..." Elisia partially covered her upper face with her hand, but regained her composure almost immediately. "Anyway, could you explain to me about the magic wand that you made for me? I remember only asking for a magic wand that allows me to channel and control my magic with better efficiency."
"That you did. I modified it with Arzuros materials, more specifically, the arm braces to create the spike, pelt to provide comfort and defense, and its brutish bone as the core structure of the staff. I also added in some iron ores and the expensive magic crystals for better magical resonance, making area effect magic much easier to pull off and you can even transfer some magic onto your party members to buff them up."
"Wait! Magic that buff up your team members? I have never heard of that. If you talk about buffing up your weapons, then it may be easier to swallow."
"I can demonstrate it for you. However, this is my fighting style and so, you need not imitate everything I do and find what works for you."
Aria took Elisia's weapon called Zurogong Primo and readied her stance. It was made to be as tall as Elisia who was about 2 heads taller than Aria and so, she held it on the base of the staff and swung it around. Every swings connected to the next without losing momentum and in the middle of the combo, Aria chanted some wind magic that ran along the handle onto the head. In the next swing, wind magic was thrown out form the magic staff and created a small gust of wind that ripped the grasses upon impact. Aria repeated the same movements, but this time, the wind magic that she swung out hit Gunther. Instead of causing damage, Gunther was blanketed by a wind barrier that pushed the nearby greeneries away from him.
"I see, magic can be used to create barrier on others, but it was risky since magic power dissipate the further away it is from the caster and simultaneously, the control we have over the magic; if not done carefully, it could seriously hurt the target. However, by using this magic staff, the magic become stable and can be hurled onto your team members."
Aria did her final blow with the magic staff and approached Elisia to hand back her staff. "It is not just about the stabilisation of the magic, but it is also complemented by the swings that basically shoot out the magic or mana. By doing so, you do not have to control it since the swing give it an initial momentum to continue flying towards your target and upon impact, the mana ignites to activate the magic."
"It is not just that, right? This can also be used to de-buff the enemies or create a space that heal companions." The magical wind barrier around Gunther dissipated as he approached Aria to join in the conversation. "This is quite revolutionary."
"Indeed. I will have to work hard and practice a lot with using magic in the middle of combat."
Gunther too was happy with his weapon as he swung it with ease; the power and precision that he displayed were befitting of a sword master. It was as long as Gunther was tall and yet he handled it expertly akin to an extension of his arm.
Peter, Noel and Mary joined them after the sun had fully risen out of the horizon. They had to go to the guild to inform the staffs that they would be taking a break for the day.
Peter started to practice with his new weapon called Jaggid Gunlance. It consisted of a large shield made up of Great Jaggi's hide and iron layers to improve its defensive capabilities. The other part consisted of a lance cum gun made up of the same materials as the shield but with more intricate mechanism. Peter was confused with the usage of the gunlance and Aria had to demonstrate how the firing mechanism work.
"I've never seen something like this. Using explosion as a weapon is not uncommon such as those seen in cannons from ships, but to miniaturise the mechanism and incorporate it into a lance is unheard of. Miss, you truly are a genius."
"Well in the Eastern nations, the usage of explosion to launch projectiles have been in use for quite a while. Although, as I heard from my late master, its usage is still pretty limited and it takes a long time to prepare for another shot. Although, I am not sure about now as it has been ages since my master left his home country."
"Well, it is not surprising then that Aria knew about it." Elisia patted Aria's head. "But still, we should not discount her talent in incorporating that into a lance. If it could be mass-produced, the militaristic Lord Sultier would be pleased."
"If only..." Aria took the Gunlance from Peter and demonstrated her fighting style. Peter was more than 2 meters tall and with the equipment designed to fit him, the shield towered over Aria as she held it. The lance too was longer than Aria's height, but she manipulate it with relative ease. Everyone was surprised at her strength, but Peter was absolutely flabbergasted. Aria started with hopping and dashing movements that accentuate her mobility despite the heavy weapon. She followed up with with various thrusts and powerful lunges typical of lance.
"It's like a moving fortress with spike." Peter remarked when Aria raised her shield, pressed the lance beside it and moved forward with stable steps. Then Aria performed a sudden thrust before guarding again. Peter thought that such a move would put a lot of pressure onto the opponent, especially when done in groups.
"I will now show you a powerful attack that is not traditionally used." Aria readied her lance and did an upward slash, followed by a powerful overhead smash and finally, a wide side sweep. "This sort of attack is dependent on your arm strength and momentum, but it leaves you vulnerable to counter attacks."
"That is why, having a gun can help you in dishing higher damage and create an explosive area to protect yourself." Aria did her thrust, but this time, a shot was fired from the tip of the lance, pushing Aria back a little. She did not stop and thrust towards the ground before releasing something into it that caused it to spark wildly. In the next moment, Aria step back and the ground exploded.
Everyone who witnessed such a feat took a step back in disbelief. Aria then pointed her lance to the air and charged up, causing the tip of the lance to glow. With the released of the trigger, a powerful blast erupted as Aria was knocked back a few steps. Again, everybody else were dumbfounded with the sheer force while Aria casually proceeded to reload the gun by slamming the lance down on its handle to open the tip, revealing several intricate structures that expelled some metal cylinders. It rotated and slid against each other to introduce new bullets onto the nuzzle of the lance before closing the lid with an upward swing. All of the movements were done swiftly without any pause or wasted move.
Aria swung the lance again and this time, when she slam her lance down, 3 distinct explosions burst out from the tip. Aria did the reloading movement again and charged her gunlance, but the glow was more intense and the heat could be felt by the onlookers. After a few seconds, the gunlance exploded with enough force to throw Aria back a few meters.
"Well, those are the basic combo that you can perform, Peter. Remember though, that with every shot, it will damaged your gunlance, particularly the sharpness." Aria walked back to her audience and handed the equipment back to Peter whose circuit had been blown. "Also, this type of gunlance is the long type and so, it is more suitable for the first charge attack that I show where it spin the bullet before shooting it, giving it higher piercing capability and longer reach. This gunlance only has 3 bullet chambers that are ready for shooting at any given time before you have to reload the bullet to prepare for the next shot."
"Umm... Miss Aria, I feel like there's too much for me to take in. I will practice with this as a regular lance, but I will need you to write it down for me how the shooting works."
"Oh... Hahaha. My apologise, I got too excited since I am actually proud of how it turns out."
"Hey Gunther, it seems like Peter got the best bargain." Elisia whispered with an empty look.
"Hahaha. I can only laugh at that." A dry laugh escaped Gunther's mouth.
After handing everything back to Peter, Aria moved on to teach Noel and Mary, only to find both of them slumped down on their knees while looking empty. "So this is why it feels so silent. Umm... I am sorry. Please return back."
After a few slaps on their face, Noel and Mary regained their usual attitude; opting to forget what they just witnessed.
The bow that Aria crafted for both Noel and Mary were called simply as Arzuros Bow and were made from Arzuros materials, specifically the pelts and braces. Several metallic ores were incorporated into the bow to enhance its integrity and flexibility. The string was made out of tough fibers and Arzuros pelts weaved together into hundreds of layers, making it easy for the hand to grasp.
"Say'ya, the bow look great alrite, but tha arrows seem... unconventional? Dunno if that's tha right word." Noel was holding an arrow that Aria had made specifically for them. "Tha'ol tip's big as dagger."
"Well, when in close range, you can use your arrow to stab at your target before dashing out and use that same arrow to shoot again. The arrowheads are actually made of a certain mixture of minerals that can be ignited, giving it an extra boost in its velocity and allows it to pierce even the tough hide of monsters. I call it Dragon Piercer."
"Oh my. How bold ta claim tha." Mary smiled and began to play around with the arrow, figuring out how to ignite it.
Aria took both the bow and arrow from Mary's hand and demonstrated the Dragon Piercer shot. She drew a circular arc with the arrow, causing the arrowhead to rub against the ground and glow. Without a pause, Aria used the momentum to load the arrow onto the bow and drew back, nocking the arrow in place. The arrowhead started to ignite into a myriad of sparks at the bottom of the point, pleading the user to be released. Aria charged up as she felt the draw weight increased from the ignited arrow and when she reached the maximum potential energy of the bow, she released the arrow. The impact of the released sent shock wave to the surroundings as Aria herself was knocked back several steps. The reward was, however, well-worth as it pierced a nearby rock formation, creating a deep hole and cracks around the impact.
"Hahaha, that's a Dragon Piercer alrite." Mary inspected the damage in disbelief.
"Hahaha, let's look'a tha bright side; we've gotten upgraded in all possible ways." Noel escaped from reality again.
They learned and practiced with their newly acquired weapons with intense focus. As the sun reached its zenith, the ruckus they had caused invited many eyes and audiences gathered to witness their display of power. Noticing that they were gathering attention, Gunther told everyone to take a rest and had lunch.
"The owner of the inn is really nice. She actually packed lunch for us for free." Elisia bit into the sandwich and savoured the rich salt-cured pork belly and crispy lettuce sandwiched between 2 slices of hearty bread. "Mmhmm, this is good."
The others agreed with Elisia and after finishing their meals, they took their individual weapons to restart their training, but before they could, they were interrupted by some unwelcome guests.
"My dear fellow adventurers, a fine day isn't it." A tall, handsome man who looked like the leader of the group, approached with a gallant step. "I see that you are having a break from taking quest today and instead of taking it easy, you decided to train. How admirable. You guys set examples for all others to follow."
"Enough with the empty flatteries. What is it that you need from us?" Gunther stepped out to confront the stranger.
"Oh, do not be alarm." His sweet voice seemed alluring, but it had poison laced within the honey. "My name is Rutio Gren Lutem, the third son of Viscount Lutem. I separated myself from my family and became an adventurer years ago. I am not going to waltz around the tall grass; I want all of you to join my guild."
"We refuse." A curt rejection came out of Elisia who stepped out beside Gunther. "We are fine on our own and we do not need the backing of some guild to survive."
All members of the Will of the Wind party stood resolute in rejecting the offer.
"What a shame... All of you can achieve more with us; the fame and glory of being well-known adventurers can ensure a life of comfort and stability."
"We do not need that. Living our lives free from the shackles of nobilities and royalty is what we have chosen to do and we will continue on this path despite the uncertainty. Me, Gunther, Peter, Mary and Noel formed this party because we share the same believes."
"So be it. Moving onto the other topic, how much would those equipment be?" Still smiling, Rutio began eyeing the equipment Aria had crafted. "Seeing their performances, many would loosen their pouches to get them."
"These are not for sale. They are custom made for each of us." Gunther sternly stated while glaring at Rutio. "I know these are what you are aiming for from the beginning."
"I never said that. For adventurers, I believe that weapons and armours can be the definitive factors between life and death. There is nothing wrong in securing the best weapons and armours if it meant for us to be able to see the sun rise again. So, how much money should I offer for those? How about 8 gold coin for each weapons and armour pieces?"
"Like Gunther said, it is not for sale. Do not think of using money to get whatever you want."
"Money has yet to disappoint me and I believe it never will. The world is built upon the intricacies of social and financial webbing that only the chosen have the capabilities to control. Your feelings, morality, sense of justice and freedom will not bring food to your table. You will regret your decision sooner or later. Nevertheless, the offer to join the 'Golden Mountain' guild is still open and will remain so for quite some time. Although, the longer you wait, the lesser the benefit will be." Rutio turned around to leave, but he turned his head halfway and locked eyes with Aria.
"The offer applies to you as well young lady." He smiled as he left the open field with a chilling smile.
As the unwelcomed guests left, the tension lowered. Aria had an inkling that something troublesome would happen in the near future.