Over the course of a clear summer's week, Quinn's Peak was more than restored—the little mountain town was renewed! With fresh coats of paint to cover the patches, townsfolk decided that if they were going to mend the scorched walls, why not fix that broken fence nearby? And if they fixed the fences, why not tidy up the gardens within them? Or that hole in the road that needed filling? Everyone in Quinn's Peak decided at the same time to clear their to-do lists, leaving every inch of the town pristine and vibrant. More than a few bits of salvaged wood from the sin tree creatures made their way into the construction projects—a woodcarver offered to use more of the Py'riel's remains to create a statue of The Hero of Quinn's Peak, but Janine declined to pose for it. She was busy that day—didn't matter which day they suggested.

  I couldn't have been happier to see the town in better shape than the one I remembered first awakening in. Everyone else must have felt the same, filled with joy at the rebirth of their home.

  Well, most everyone.

  The Passguards, empty-handed from their quest deep into the Berin Mountains, could not believe their eyes at the remains of the half-melted portcullises heaped outside the outer wall next to a pile of Py'riel wood. Janine and Mazarel had been up on the eastern wall-walk at the time, and we peered out toward the sea of familiar blue tabards once we heard their shouts of surprise at the only hints of the attack we endured.

  "Not exactly the merriest looking bunch," Mazarel said, leaning on the stone as he scanned the Passguard ranks. "And yet> I think that's everyone that left if I'm counting right. Not an injury among them, even. Were I a betting man, I'd say they didn't find what they were looking for."

  Janine frowned. "After what we went through, I think you're right. Do you think the Py'riel anticipated the Passguard approach? Maybe they'd pnned for all of this."

  "A pn that didn't account for a secret magic sword, eh?" Mazarel gnced back to Janine, a look of worry in his eye. "Speaking of, when some of those mercenaries hear about what happened, it's probably going to get awkward around here."

  Biting her bottom lip, Janine nodded. "The thought crossed my mind. Maybe if—"

  "Mazarel! Denholm! Down here, now!"

  The captain's shout drained the color from their faces, and the two Passguards rushed down the stairs to meet a disgruntled Galen and his entourage at the entrance. He looked to the heaps of iron and wood, and then to the pristine town within the protective walls, and then fixed his gaze back on Janine. "Expin."

  "Sir." Janine cleared her throat, struggling for the right words to expin the situation a way that would sound believable. "We... overcame a Py'riel threat that approached the town and damaged the portcullis. The town only suffered minor damage, it's all been repaired."

  "How many?"

  Janine paused again, feeling the scrutinizing eyes upon her. "Well, there was... a few, at least... it happened so fast..."

  Wasting no time, the captain turned to Mazarel.

  "How. Many."

  "Thirty-seven, sir," Mazarel said without a hint of hesitation. The gathering of Passguards behind Galen ughed and mumbled to one another, a rising chorus of disbelief at Mazarel's cim, but he persisted. "The woodpile over there is what remains of them. Or, most of them. Their magic fire melted the gates without much effort at all." The curly-haired man gnced at Janine and myself for a moment. "We were lucky to have an effective countermeasure. Or, Janine did, at least."

  All eyes turned to Janine, and I could see the nervousness spread across her face. Fighting monsters was one thing, but upstaging a company of mercenaries promised to stir all kinds of trouble, just as Mazarel had warned. Galen focused his attention to me, already certain he knew I pyed some sort of role in the defense of Quinn's Peak. "I should like to see a demonstration of this 'countermeasure'."

  Janine csped me in her palm, but she hesitated once more. "Maybe we should talk about it ter, after everyone's rested up?"

  "Denholm, look around. Do you see my soldiers? Do they look battle-worn? We marched into a forest to find an empty temple, and then marched back. In the weeks we traveled, we dispatched a total of three Py'riel creatures, none of whom put up much of a fight. If we're anything at this moment, it's well-rested." Galen sighed, softening his expression—something I don't recall ever seeing from the captain before. "Look, if you found a way to effectively sy Py'riel as Mazarel cims, we all deserve to know how. Humor me."

  I thought about trying to nudge Janine to defy the captain's orders. With every mercenary watching her like a wolf in pursuit of its prey, revealing she owned a magic sword would undoubtedly paint a target on her back, especially if any of them grew bold enough to challenge her to cim me. Even so, I trusted Janine as well as our ability to ward off anyone who might try to take me by force, so I didn't try to stop her when she tugged me from her neck and held me out in her open palm. I had no intentions of making her look foolish in front of her commander by appearing to be dormant, either. Better for her to appear to have sole mastery over me.

  Mist swirled outward from my core, pulling the polished metal along with it, replicating the bde that I'd become for Janine just days before with a far more menacing shape than any bde in the Passguard armory. Everyone fell silent as the green light grew within Janine's hand, and moments ter, she gripped my handle, holding me aloft for everyone to see.

  I looked at the soldiers behind Galen, their expressions ranging from awe to fear to envy. I imagined that few had seen a weapon like me before—a bde shrouded in magical green mist is not a common sight, even among the magic-wielding adventurers that would pass through Quinn's Peak from time to time. Others seemed to ponder what power I contained within myself, while a handful of the mercenaries clearly appeared jealous of a girl from the mountains becoming some sort of 'chosen one'. And they can stay jealous, I thought, because I don't regret my choice in the slightest!

  Only Galen seemed impossible to read. He looked me over with a calcuting expression, and I wondered if we were going to get another lecture about the dangers of corruption from relics again.

  Instead, the captain csped his hands together. "I guess I can't argue with results. Everyone, go enjoy a hearty meal and the comfort of our own beds tonight, yes? I'll confirm this account with the mayor, and then, well." Galen turned around, sporting an unexpected smile on his typically stoic face. "And then, I think we should celebrate this remarkable accomplishment of one of our own."