The Grand Battle S2G1! [Round Six: Eddelin City]

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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The words of the Charlatan and the Amalgam had barely registered with Arkal. He had heard the words, and had a dim understanding that the events here were of great importance, but his mind was simply too preoccupied with one thought.

For the first time in forty years, Arkal had crafted a weapon that was beyond his skill to wield.

Was this it? Had he created his greatest work as a smith? Would all else he forged pale in comparison?

Or were there still weapons even further beyond the Amalgam blade? Was this just the beginning of an era in which he crafted weapon after weapon beyond mortal understanding?

Arkal wasn't sure if he wanted the answer to that question to be "yes" or "no".

Perhaps he could take his mind off the matter if he simply went back to smithing more common weapons for a while. He stood up and, for the first time since the round began, took in his surroundings.

He seemed to be in a garden. Plants were growing everywhere, some he had seen before, and some thoroughly unfamiliar. In the center, there was a fountain with sparkling water. A statue holding a purple gem stood in the center.

"It'd be an interesting decoration, but hardly practical," Arkal said to himself as he glanced at the gem. "And these plants... hmm. No trees I can see. Might be something interesting in the fruit, but I've never been good at reading fruit. Metal, wood, gems, those are one thing; but fruit is just too hard to predict."

And then Arkal saw the simple wooden bench behind the fountain.

"Now that looks like some good wood. Could make a sturdy quarterstaff."

He reached towards it.

And then a mess of vines caught his arm.

"That bench is the King's property," said the vines. "Your attempted theft is a crime of the highest order."

Arkal turned his head towards the sound of the voice, and saw a large moth-man who appeared to be composed entirely of various types of plants. It stuffed an enormous tulip bulb over Arkal's head before he could voice a word of protest.

"You had best hope that King Hector is in a generous mood today, criminal scum. Although, given the state of the Place these days, that seems highly doubtful."