(Trans-tor’s note from the end of st chapter! A cuisle mo chroi, pronounced “Achush mu-kree” means, literally, “Heart’s pulse”, or “My heart’s beloved”. It’s Irish-Gaelic, and it means that Dana loves Kylie very, very much~!)

  That night, after logging out, I sleep poorly, missing the warmth and love that Dana had showered me with, the musical tingles of her Irish accent and her words still fizzing around inside me. When morning comes, I dress for college, meeting up with Jeffrey and his new boyfriend on the way.

  Walking through the campus grounds, we chat about our proposed acts for the talent show. So close now, but both Dana and I AND Jeffrey and Jared have entered as paired acts, so we can pull off something a little more impressive than solo. The dark-skinned Enforcer’s son grins. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you and Dana have for your turn. You’ve been very cagey, keeping the whole thing under wraps! I can’t wait!”

  Jeffrey kisses his boyfriend’s cheek, smiling. “C’mon, Jared. We’ve been just as secretive about our own performance! I think it’s fair for the girls to do the same.”

  I smile. “I will say that it’s going very well. We’ve got everything pretty much perfect. The st three rehearsals we have are going to be more rexed. Plus, I’ll be able to put more time into my gaming!”

  Jeffrey smirks. “Oh, that’s right! You’ve hit level fifty, right?”

  I shake my head. “Actually, no! I’ve been fighting wyverns on the regur, so I’ve made level 60, now! Here!”

  I pull up my Aegis Online account details on my phone, my current stats on-screen.

  Kettrin

  Bulwark Level 60

  CON: 49

  DEX: 45

  STR: 50

  WIS: 40

  INT: 40

  LUCK: 40

  I smile. “I’ve almost caught up to where Dana was, though she’s probably been level-grinding like mad. We’re still trying to decide whether we should head for the Darkwood Heights, or to the floating sky archipego the Skyborne call home.”

  Jeffrey shrugs. “Well, if it was up to me, I’d suggest the floating isnds! That sounds like the most badass thing possible! Plus, you’ve got that sweet airship, so you can make the trip way more easily than the majority of us lowly groundlings!”

  I elbow him. “YOU’VE got wings of your own, dummy!” I ugh, and Jared chuckles drily, rolling his eyes.

  “I swear, you’re making ME want to get into this gaming craze. You two make it sound fun!”

  I shrug. “Why don’t you? I mean, even my parents are pying! I’ve only run into them once, but I py regurly. They py when they have the time and energy.”

  The bell shrills, and I make my way to css, taking my seat at the window as Jeffrey plonks himself down next to Jared, the teacher entering and making me silently groan.

  Dammit, it just HAD to be old Mr Simmons. Why the hell hasn’t he retired yet?! And who had the bright idea of making him teach first period?! If he starts up with another ‘The world has changed’ lecture, we’ll have a casualty rate of 60% before lunch!

  After lunch, I head to the library for a free-study double period, getting my homework out of the way early, before poking around on the WDTN. Thanks to my streaming, I’ve got a lot of cash to burn, and I feel like getting myself a treat. Then…. Something catches my eye. It’s a piece of jewellery, and, when I read into it, my eyes widen. Sending my ring-finger measurements in, I pce an order for express delivery, smiling. It cost a pretty penny, but I don’t care. I want it.

  The next three weeks pass, and Dana and I finish up our practices. We’ve become more physical, both in and out of game, thanks to Dana finally getting me to realise that she WANTS me to be physical with her. It’s really, REALLY nice getting to hold her, kiss whenever I like without feeling like I should wait for permission, and it’s extremely nice to GET kissed, too. We stream together a lot, too, going on quests together, even popping in on the Hephaestus Consortium. Gimmel and his dwarves are doing research on mechanized agricultural tools that make farming easier, and Dr Frank’s started taking on a few students, both pyer and NPC, to teach the arts of combining magics in new and unexpected ways.

  I’ve been meaning to repay him, and, after downsizing the local wyvern popution, grinding through the mines, and even managing to dodge the giant cave-spider a couple times, I’ve accrued a cool five million in gold coins, gemstones, and ingots by selling off all the loot I don’t need. Then, I head to the estate agents. With some haggling, I manage to get a rge building, furnished as an educational facility, and hire a couple of staff to clean and maintain the new school I’ve brought into being. With a quick edit to the name of the building, I head to visit the French doctor, hoping he’ll be pleased.

  “Ah, mademoiselle Kettrin! ‘Ow good of you to come and visit. I’ve ‘eard about your exploits. You’re beginning to get a bit of a… ‘Ow you say, reputation?”

  I smile, giving the doctor a gentle hug. “How’re you doing, Dr. Frank? I came by because I have a surprise for you. Consider it my thanks for your help with getting me into therapy and stuff.”

  I hand over a small roll of parchment. Leaning heavily on a cane, the doctor limps to his seat and settles into it, unrolling the paper and reading the words written on it in stark bck ink.

  “Is this… true? You… did this for me? Mon jeune ami, this… this is beyond anything I could even imagine… you must have spent a fortune on zis!”

  I smile at him. “I did indeed do this for you. I remember you told me youwanted to leave a legacy, and… what better way to do that than to be the first headmaster of a pce of learning in this game? A school, where pyers and NPCs who wish to study magic, research new forms of sagecraft, and develop new uses for the powers they’ve been bestowed? Where better… than the Dupont-Moreau Academy of Magiscientific Education?”

  The doctor stares up at me, a smile spreading onto his lined, careworn face.

  “I take it you will not consent to me returning such a gift to you? Then I gratefully accept. You have my eternal thanks, young dy.”

  I smile. “I hope I’ll see lots of students when I come to visit. The address is right there on the deed, too. There’s some groundskeeping staff, but I didn’t think I’d be the right person to choose any teachers or the like. I’ll leave that to you!”

  Bidding the aged, terminally-ill doctor farewell, I make my way out and head towards the crafting district, looking for Ulged and Mur. It’s been a while, and I want to see if I can get an upgrade done on my swordspear.

  As I wander through the streets, I pass a couple of pyers, one celebrating their purchase of a new super-powerful sword. I have to admit, the weapon DOES look impressive. Lots of gold and shining steel, with a bck-and-gold scabbard. It must’ve cost a king’s ransom!

  My curiosity piqued, I chase after the pair. “Excuse me! Where did you get a sword like that? I’d like to know, if that’s okay!”

  The pyers pause, before nodding. The proud new sword owner expins, “There’s a dwarf pyer who’s set up a stall not far from here. He’s a bit smug, and he charges a fucking fortune, but his weapons all work amazingly well!”

  I frown. That seems sketchy. Ulged’s work is high-quality too, and he doesn’t try to bankrupt his customers while he’s at it!

  “I think I’ll pay this dwarf a visit. Where exactly can I find him?”

  After receiving directions, I decide to check it out. I’ve got time, and who knows? This dwarven craftsman might be worth meeting. Following the directions, I make my way towards the crafting district, turning down one street and then another, following the map. I can’t trust my ears on this. There’s hammering sounds everywhere, and it’s impossible to tell which of the countless sources of steel-on-steel could be my destination.

  Finally, I emerge into a small, rather crowded square, where a forge, anvil and big rock are set up, attended by a stocky, bearded dwarf in fine clothes, a gleaming, ornate hammer on his belt, wearing an apron made of something that, thanks to my hunting trips, I can instantly recognize as wyvern leather. He’s leaning against the anvil, the fmes in the forge’s pit flickering deep red, the coals glowing bright.

  A pyer approaches, and I listen in, wondering how this dwarf does business.

  “Hey, I’m here to purchase a weapon, please. I’d like a matched pair of curved daggers, with bcksteel bdes, rosewood handles, and raven-headed silver pommels, if that’s not too much of a problem?”

  The dwarf looks up at the human pyer, chewing on something zily, before nodding. “Give me five minutes. And it’ll cost 50,000 gold for the work.”

  I blink. Five minutes, and fifty THOUSAND?! Ulged doesn’t take that sort of time to make something! He takes as long as necessary to make something! This guy is shifty as fuck! I’m gonna keep watching. While keeping one eye on the scene before me, I shoot the Gnoll a message, filling him in. This seems like something he’d find interesting.

  The dwarf produces two dark ingots of metal, sliding them into the heart of the forge, then ying out two ovaline grips of reddish wood, and two spherical nuggets of silver. He taps each of the silver balls with his hammer, and they take the shape of raven’s heads, glittering in the firelight. Then, the Bcksteel ingots. With a gloved hand, the dwarf picks up a pair of tongs and pulls the metal, pcing them on his anvil. A few swift strikes with the hammer, and a pair of matched bdes appear, and, as soon as they’re done, he grabs the rosewood grips and slides them into pce, attaching the pommels with a few quick taps, as if binding them in some way.

  This is NOTHING like how Ulged makes gear. He does it slower, more… methodically, as if judging when and where to nd each blow, gauging the perfect amount of force to imbue each strike with. This… this is fshy, all sizzle and no steak…

  Handing the bdes over, the dwarf gestures at the rock. “Go ahead, try ‘em out if you want proof!”

  The pyer twirls the bdes skilfully, before approaching, drawing one bde back, and sshing. A deep gouge forms in the stone’s surface, and the crowd gasps, muttering furiously. It seems as though there were some Doubting Thomases among the pyers watching. I feel a huge, weighty paw on my shoulder.

  “So, that’s th’ fel, eh, ss?”

  Ulged narrows his eyes, examining the dual bdes. “Ah’m not impressed. This ‘smith’ is all mouth, no troosers.”

  He gently pushes past me, and approaches the pyer. “’Scuse me, ddie. Mind if’n I test yer new toys? Why not take a swing at me axe? I won’t compin if’n ye break it. Humour me!”

  The Argonaut shrugs. “Ah, sure. I’m not above having a little fun! Hragh!”

  As Ulged raises his greataxe, the dagger’s meeting it at full-force. With a loud ‘Ping!’, the dagger… snaps in half, right at the point of impact. The Argonaut gawps, as Ulged holds up his unmarked axebde.

  “S’like Ah suspected. Yeh’re a fraud, an’ a tadger t’boot. Yeh’re using spdash tricks to make fshy, ornate gear with crap durability. High attack power, sure, but nothing else. Enhancement magic is easy t’ recognize. Ah’m a bcksmith meself.”

  The dwarf starts looking nervous as he backs up a few paces. Ulged steps in front of him. “If’n ye don’t mind, AH’LL mek summat fer yeh, ddie. Ah cannae let yeh trust such shoddy workmanship. Now… Bcksteel, rosewood and silver, aye? That’s what yeh had those made from?”

  The stunned Argonaut blinks, staring at his broken bde. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I saved for weeks for these!”

  Ulged grins. “Well, since ye were tricked by this shiftless, backsliding vvy heid, Ah’m no’ gonna charge yeh.”

  The dwarf musters some gumption. “What baseless insinuations! I use no tricks in my forging, you hack-!”

  Ulged reaches to his belt. His hammer, while pin and unadorned, a simple tool, is massive, much, MUCH bigger and heavier than the dwarf’s.

  “Yer bum’s oot the windae, ya fuckin’ bampot! Now get oot me way! Yer forge is way too cold to mek anything worth a squirt o’ piss!”

  Once the Gnoll is satisfied the forge is hot enough, he draws forth two ingots of Bcksteel, sliding them into just the right pce, before setting out two rosewood grips and two silver spheres.

  The human pyer stares in fascination as the hulking hyenid tends to the forge, stoking and cooling as necessary, before pulling one ingot of bcksteel out and shifting the second back a little, maintaining a specific level of heat around it. Bringing his hammer down, he causes waves of sparks to cascade off the anvil, reshaping the bar of glowing metal into something resembling the bde he wants, before inserting it back into the fmes, pulling the second ingot and replicating the feat.

  The silver orbs are at the edge of the fire in a pair of crucibles, as Ulged pces a mould down, setting it up in the closed position, before pouring the molten silver into the mould, letting it cool and returning his attention to the bdes, beating them more firmly into the curved shape, his blows differentiating between hard and fierce, and almost… gentle, as if he’s communicating with the metal, asking it to take shape rather than demanding.

  Three hours ter, the bdes are finished. Ulged binds the rosewood in silver wire for grip, attaching the raven heads and even supplying a pair of sheathes.

  “Now, if’n yeh want to test, them… Strike the anvil. Dinnae fash, they’ll be guid as new afterwards.”

  The pyer pauses in his admiration of the fine matched bdes, before raising them both and sshing down on the anvil. The solid 500lb block of wrought-iron and steel facing-pte shears into three pieces without any trouble. The bdes cut through it like soft cheese. Ulged grins. “There. Would ye say a proper set of those are worth the money ye lost to this chartan?”

  “Oh, I think these are EXACTLY what I wanted…” The Argonaut breathes, eyes wide. Then he points one of his gleaming dark bdes at the nervous dwarf.

  “And if I see you again, ‘Master Craftsman’, I can promise that you’ll learn first-hand how sharp these are.” He stalks away, sheathing them as the dwarf scuttles off like a crab, his reputation in tatters. I grin. Ulged’s business is going to be booming after this little show…