Pa had laid out our Scuttler parts in neat rows on the workbenches. The smithy’s double doors were closed tight, and my belly was warm and full after a hearty breakfast. Ma had been showing off, knowing Eryn would be joining us for the meal at dawn, and I had to admit that I didn't mind at all. When she went all-out in the kitchen, we were happy men.

  I couldn't stop stealing glances at Eryn as she examined the monster parts. She'd pulled her hair back in a tight braid, and she wore a pair of brown leather pants I hadn't seen before. Combined with her big smile, she was quite distracting.

  Pa's workbench creaked as he leaned against it.

  “Now, for these pieces here,” Pa muttered and picked up a Scuttler pincer. “These are perfect for reinforcing gloves and bracers, and I'll fit them straight onto your leather ones, Eryn. Light but tough, and I'll keep your thumb and pinky uncovered so it won't slow down your bow work. But the bracers can take quite the punch. Not much will pierce through those I believe.”

  Eryn nodded.

  “The more damage I can do at range, the less work there'll be for Ash and the bracers.”

  “Speaking of bows.” Pa grabbed another piece. “I've lined up a trade with the bowyer. Leg segments from three Scuttlers for a custom recurve. Better draw weight, and he'll throw in ten Scuttler-tipped arrows. You will have to make sure to retrieve them, though, as those things are pricey.”

  Eryn's eyes widened.

  “When did you have time to arrange all that?”

  I laughed.

  “Pa's always the first one up. Sometimes I think he doesn't sleep at all. His loud snoring tells me otherwise, though.”

  “Father was the same way,” Eryn said. “Sometimes I'd go to sleep at night in the back of the wagon, only to wake up to us driving through completely different terrain.” She chuckled. “I swear I once fell asleep in a desert and woke up in a blizzard.”

  “You really enjoyed traveling, didn't you?” I said, and she nodded.

  “I sure did. And thank you, Thomas. This is really generous of you.”

  “Don't mention it. We're all in this together now,” Pa said, waving off her thanks, already moving on to the larger carapace pieces. “Now these, well, these will be fun. Excellent for plate armor. Could get two, maybe three sets out of what we have here, plus several pairs of greaves. They'll sell well. Especially once people see how light and strong they are.” He poked a finger at something squishy. “The guts'll go to Victor, but that money's earmarked for materials.”

  “Sounds good.” Eryn ran her hand along a smooth piece of shell. “What about Ash? What are we making for him?”

  “And me! Do not forget about the one who made all this possible.”

  “And Roq,” I said.

  He'd been blessedly quiet through the night, letting me sleep in peace. Good behavior deserved a good reward, and if his good behavior kept me alive, too, then I didn't mind being good to the hammer.

  Pa smiled.

  “Well now, that's the interesting part.”

  Pa's eyes darted to the thick wooden doors, checking one final time that they were secure. Satisfied, he touched his wrist.

  The woodweaver's corpse materialized on the workbench with a wet thud.

  “Monster balls!” Roq's voice rang with revulsion in my mind. “That... that thing is what I came from? That twisted mockery of life? Not even its own mother would love that kind of ugly! Ugh!”

  “Yes.”

  “I feel unclean. And I'm a hammer.”

  Eryn's hand found mine, her fingers intertwining with my own as she drew a deep breath. Her other hand tightened around the edge of the workbench until her knuckles went white.

  “I know it's dead.” She swallowed hard. “I know you killed it. But damn, that is one monstrous, well, monster.”

  The thing sprawled across Pa's workbench like a nightmare made flesh. Its eight legs stretched from its body of pockmarked wood and still writhing fungus. Worst of all was its face... that twisted human-like visage frozen in an eternal scream, one which still made my skin crawl. Had I seen it now, I would have probably run without looking back, but back during the first dungeon dive? All that mattered was to keep my friends safe. Even if it meant I’d die.

  “Thank you.” Roq's voice was uncharacteristically quiet. “For freeing me from... that.”

  “You are welcome, my friend.”

  “Friend?”

  I ignored the comment, not wanting to risk ruining the moment.

  “Do you remember anything? From before?”

  Silence filled my mind where Roq's constant commentary usually lived, and Pa ran his fingers along one of the legs, his expression one of fascination. He'd already seen it several times and even worked with some parts, but as a variant monster, it was a unique creature, meaning he was unlikely to come across anything like it again.

  “Monstrous indeed. But the material... you'll like this.” He lifted the leg, examining the crystalline tip. “A lot should go to Victor. Fungus is not much use for me. But since no one can know for now, I'll keep it in storage. But these tips?” He grabbed a piece of steelhusk wood from his scrap pile. “Watch this.”

  He pressed the crystalline tip of one spidery leg against the steelhusk's surface. Nothing happened at first as he gradually increased pressure. Then suddenly, like a metal rod through red-hot iron, the tip sank into the nearly impenetrable wood.

  “That's impossible,” I muttered, almost unable to believe what I was seeing.

  I stared at the perfectly smooth hole left behind and blinked to make sure I was seeing correctly.

  Eryn cleared her throat.

  “Could someone explain why you're both looking like you've seen a ghost?”

  “Steelhusk is as hard as, well, steel.”

  “Exactly!” Pa's eyes gleamed with excitement. “Yet under this tip, it behaves like hardened wax.”

  I carefully tapped my finger to the crystalline tip.

  “It isn't hot.” Then I ran my fingers over the hole it had made. “How in the class-cursed scavenger did the tip melt right through? And steelhusk of all things.”

  “It's magical,” Pa said, grinning.

  A thought struck me.

  “Maybe that's why Roq is so effective against armor? Since the soul gem came from the woodweaver?”

  “How dare you!” Roq's indignation flooded my mind. “My superiority comes from MY inherent excellence, not from that abomination.”

  But there was something off in his tone, a slight waver that made me wonder if I'd struck a nerve.

  Pa stroked his beard thoughtfully.

  “Maybe. But more importantly, this carcass can yield several magical items. I'll work on it slowly, carefully. Can't risk anyone finding out.” He turned to Eryn. “For now, we focus on the Scuttler parts. Ash and I agreed to improve his shield first, to make it even tougher. Then a heavily reinforced bracer and glove for his right hand, medium protection for his left.”

  “That's great,” Eryn said, “but what about his legs? They took the worst beating during the last run. Don't want him to end up in a wheeled chair.”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “That's because he's still a novice!” Roq's voice boomed in my head. “If he would just learn to wield me properly, not a single monster would be able to touch us!”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “What did he say?” Eryn asked, noticing my expression.

  “Just Roq being Roq. Claims if I knew how to use him properly, we'd be invincible.”

  Eryn's laughter filled the forge. “You did get hit quite a bit,” she said.

  “The grey goo topping her slender neck might be of higher quality than I first assumed.”

  “Please. Don't encourage him,” I said, shaking my head. “About my legs, Pa and I agreed on a set of scale mail reinforced leather pants so they provide protection around my entire legs. But they'll take more time to make. Couple days at least.”

  Pa nodded.

  “And once the first Scuttler plate mail is done, we can decide if Ash should use a set or if we just sell them all.”

  “Sounds like you'll be busy,” Eryn said.

  “We're not even done.” I lifted Roq slightly. “We need to upgrade Roq, too. He deserves some... love.”

  “YES!” Roq's excitement crashed through my mind like a tidal wave. “Finally! We shall forge me into the strongest soul weapon across all worlds! You owe it to me, to us both, to invest in my greatness!”

  “What kind of upgrade?” Eryn leaned forward, curious.

  “Well, I thought we should ask Roq. He probably knows best how I should be...wielding him to become invincible.”

  “Ah, here you show a glimpse of actual intelligence, too! What a rare and precious moment.”

  I sighed heavily.

  “What now?” Pa asked, amused.

  “Just... hold on.” I massaged my temples. “Roq, what do you think we should work on first?”

  “During the Scuttler battle, there were moments when your grip nearly slipped.”

  “How is that possible? I thought I couldn't let go of you?”

  “You don't WANT to let go, and you can't willingly release me with the intent of handing me to someone else. But someone could still overpower you and pry me away. You're not THAT strong. Not yet. I'm bound to your soul, not magically glued to your hand.”

  “Oh.” The implications of what he just said sank in, and he was right. A few times it had felt as if the hammer was slipping. Having a way to make sure that never happened was important. What good was a hammer if it wasn’t in my hand?

  I relayed this information to Pa and Eryn. Pa's expression grew serious as he examined Roq's shaft.

  “We could make a leather strap,” he said slowly, “Secured with one of these magical tips. Thread it through the grip, and then wrap it around your wrist.”

  “That would work.” I turned Roq over in my hand, imagining it. “Would let me hang you from my belt as well. Easier to keep you out of my spatial storage. What do you think?”

  “Finally, someone is thinking properly! Though I would prefer covering me in spikes. Spikes would be magnificent. And flames. Can we add flames?”

  I sighed yet again.

  “We'll have to ask Edwin how to light you on fire, buddy, but don't keep your hopes up.”

  With that, we got to work.

  * * *

  Most of the day passed quickly as we worked on various things.

  I wiped the sweat from my forehead, watching Eryn flex her fingers in the new gloves. The leather hugged her hands and middle fingers perfectly, reinforced with overlapping Scuttler pieces. Hours of stoking the forge and helping Pa shape each piece had paid off greatly.

  “These are incredible.” She stretched her fingers wide, then made a fist. “So light, yet I can feel the protection and the extra strength they give.” Her thumb and pinky moved freely as she picked up her bow, drew it, and then gently released the tension. “Perfect for archery and getting that little extra draw strength.”

  “The articulation took some doing,” I said, pride warming my chest. “Pa insisted on getting it exactly right. Not that he ever doesn't get it right.”

  “Hold up your shield.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and for a moment I thought she was about to ask if she could hit me with an arrow.

  I fetched my shield and braced. She squared up and drove her armored fist into the center with surprising force. The impact rang through the metal, but I didn't budge.

  “Ha!” she beamed, shaking her hand. “Didn't hurt at all! These are amazing, Thomas!”

  I’d checked the stats on the item after completing it, and the gloves had a nice +1 strength, which for her had been a considerable upgrade.

  Pa just grunted, hammering away at a particularly stubborn piece of Scuttler shell.

  “Be better if I still had my proper hammer.” He shot a pointed look at Roq sitting comfortably in my grip.

  “Why not use Roq?” Eryn asked. “He should be perfect, right?”

  “WHAT?” Roq's voice exploded in my mind. “I am the supreme weapon of war! A soul forged for conquest and glory! Not some common TOOL for beating metal!”

  “Roq feels his talents lie more in combat than smithing,” I translated diplomatically. “Also, I don't think he'd be of much use. His destructive power is too great.”

  “You got that right!”

  Eryn's lips curved into a sly smile.

  “Oh, I understand completely,” she said. “It makes sense if he's nervous about trying something new. What if he's not strong enough to conquer the material here in the forge? Better to avoid the risk of failure entirely by stating he is too 'destructive'.”

  “NERVOUS?” Roq's mental voice reached new heights of indignation. “FAILURE? I'll show you failure! Bring me over there this instant! We shall hammer that pathetic piece of monster shell into submission with such precision and power that she will NEVER again question my STRENGTH AGAIN!”

  “Roq says he'd be happy to help,” I said, fighting back a grin.

  “That is NOT what I said and you know it! But yes, now we must prove our superiority in ALL things! Quickly, before she thinks I’m actually afraid! Bring me over there!”

  Pa and I exchanged glances. With exaggerated ceremony, he stepped away from the anvil, sweeping his arm in a grand gesture of invitation.

  “Please,” he said, voice dripping with mock deference. “Show us how it's done, oh mighty hammer.”

  I approached the anvil and lined up the first strike. The twisted piece of Scuttler shell gleamed, its natural curves needing to be hammered flat and then shaped for the bracers.

  Roq's voice thundered in my head.

  “Let them hear me! Let the WORLD know. The strongest striker have arrived in the smithy, and we WILL subdue the ENTIRE world!”

  I drove the hammer down, and the smithy came to life. It wasn’t simply the sound of metal on metal—it was a shockwave, a ripple that pushed through the smithy like an explosive force. The walls shook, tools clinking on their racks. The twisted piece of Scuttler shell flattened instantly, but the anvil beneath it groaned like a wounded beast.

  “Yes! Bend, you worthless slab! Feel the dominance of VANNASH' KHAZEESH! I will subdue you in your entirety!”

  “Good job, Roq,” I muttered, adjusting my grip.

  “Do NOT interrupt me in my moment of TRIUMPH, you biped!”

  I struck again. The shell sparked, and a sharp brilliant flash lit up the forge. So hard was the hit that I could feel the vibrations in my feet.

  Eryn stepped back, shielding her eyes.

  “Ash, are you sure your hammer isn't going to destroy the entire smithy?”

  “The smithy will survive once it learns its place,” Roq growled, his voice vibrating in my skull.

  “Maybe tone it down a notch?” I suggested. “We can't afford to rebuild an entire smithy just because you want to prove your dominance, Roq.”

  “I will do NO such thing! To forge is to CONQUER, and I CONQUER utterly and COMPLETELY!”

  I struck again, and this time the shockwave knocked a bucket off the workbench.

  Eryn caught it mid-air, her grin widening.

  “He's really something, isn't he?”

  “I heard that! And yes, I am something. No, wait, I am not just something, I am EVERYTHING! And this shell? It is NOTHING!”

  The strikes quickened. Each blow traveled up my arm and into my chest. Sweat ran down my back as the Scuttler shell twisted and bent into shape, yielding to Roq's overwhelming power. The forge's flames surged with each impact, the heat intensifying as though it were feeding off Roq's energy.

  “More!” Roq bellowed. “Another piece! We’re just getting started!”

  I nodded at Pa, and he handed me the next piece, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

  “He's got some fire in him, I'll give him that.”

  “Do not underestimate me, bearded one. Your anvil trembles at my glory!”

  When I relayed Roq's comment, Pa chuckled.

  “Good thing I reinforced it. Maybe we will need to make a steel-husk anvil next, huh, son?” he added and stepped back.

  The second piece was no match for Roq's strikes. We struck harder, faster, the ringing of metal filling the smithy like a battle cry.

  “Yes! Witness the FURY of a TRUE weapon! I do not FORGE, I DOMINATE!”

  We finished in record time, the workbench piled high with perfectly shaped pieces, each one proof to Roq's power and precision. Pa had barely been able to keep up his instructions of what he needed as we hammered them out, and it was as if Roq knew what to do.

  I transferred Roq to my other hand, my right shaking and my ears ringing.

  “That,” Eryn said, staring at the pieces, “Was insane.”

  “Insane?” Roq rumbled. “No, mortal, that was PERFECTION.”

  Pa nodded, running his fingers over the cooled metal.

  “Best work I've ever seen. Even better than my old hammer.”

  Roq let out a smug, mental laugh.

  “Of course it is. I am the pinnacle of creation. Now bring me another challenge worthy of my power.”

  “Careful, Roq. If you keep this up, people might start thinking you're useful for something other than smashing skulls.”

  “Do NOT mock me, Ash! My glory has only begun! And besides, a God needs his worshippers, does he not?”

  I grinned, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

  “I think he's starting to like us.”

  “NEVER!” Roq snapped. Then his volume lowered, somehow becoming even more intense. “We have a new quest, Ash.”

  “We have a new quest?” I said out loud, for Pa and Eryn's benefit. “You no longer want to become the strongest weapon in all of the worlds?”

  “Good point. We have a new side-quest!”

  “Okay. A new side quest,” I said, chuckling. “And what is it?”

  “To beat into submission every material known to man, and anything new we find. I want to feel them all break beneath my power. Bend and shape them according to my will, so that every material knows to bow its head as you carry me through the streets!”

  I relayed it word for word, barely able to keep a straight face.

  “You want saggy buildings?” Eryn asked.

  “What? Mortal, speak plainly!”

  I relayed his question.

  “If all materials will bow their heads as you and Ash walk past, won't that make for a lot of saggy buildings everywhere? Droopy trees? Running mountains?”

  I half-swallowed my laugh, feeling Roq focus on my girlfriend.

  “Is that biped mocking me?”

  “No, we are not mocking you,” I said. “Your quests are our quests. So we need to know these things, right?”

  “Fine. Not all the materials have to bow. As long as one of them has bowed, they'll all know, and we'll know, and the world will be in its proper order.”

  I relayed his words again, and Eryn burst out laughing, even Pa's booming voice joined in. The forge felt warm, alive, and I realised that Roq's voice felt less like an intrusion in my head, and more like he belonged.

  “Now have the bearded one finish the crafting so we can go hunt. All this hammering has made me hungry. I need to feed.”