Waiting

Uriel and Guage were watching something a little peculiar, Thomas had Onze in a headlock and was ruffling his hair. " So little Onze it's been awhile, how are you holding up?" Thomas looked exactly like a big brother giving his little brother a hard time.

"Hmph it you'd let go of me, I might be more inclined to give you an answer. Also I'm the commander of these barracks could you show me at least a little more respect. Especially in front of the new recruits." Onze glared at the pair standing in the doorway, he could tell they were trying to hide their smiles, unfortunately they were doing a terrible job of it.

"Oh, I remember that you loved when I did this to you." Thomas looked a little confused. " Are you saying that you've grown out of this?" He also looked a little hurt.

Onze could only look at the man he admired so much with sympathy. " No I'm just kidding, it is of course one of my favorite things, I just wish you would be a little more discreet about it." Now Onze looked like he was hurt however it was much more profound then when Thomas did. However a smile returned to Thomas's face at these words. Just what is going on here. " So what brings you to me today?" Onze was obviously trying to change the subject.

Thomas tried to whisper to Onze but it came out like a low rumble, and everybody heard. " Well you see I found somebody to take my hammer, only I don't think he likes it. Could you tell him he can't give it back." Thomas looked a little crest fallen, he must have figured that Uriel would shower him with praise. " Also I think I have to tell them everything I still remember."

" Hmmm that's a problem isn't it? Really how much do you remember? As for you it's impossible to give the hammer back." Onze said directing his comment to Uriel. " I want you to forget about the request from Thomas about information. Instead I'll give you as much as I can although it is fairly incomplete. Thomas must not try to recall." Onze looked a little worried. Uriel was giving it some serious thought. Something was off here.

" May I ask why Thomas can't tell me?"

" Thomas could you go work on some armor, or maybe feed the horses." Thomas looked grateful and was out the door so quick that there wasn't time to stop him." Where to start, well let's start with the hammer. Did you know that even soulbound weapons can be taken from a fallen individual?" Uriel and Guage both nodded.

" Yes sir you informed me the last time I was here. What does that have to do with this hammer?"

Uriel asked.

" Well it is true, that soulbound weapons can be raided from a person's corpse, and even your hammer can be taken. At the same time it can't, you see as you said it's cursed. Thomas has given that hammer away at least 10 times, however no one has ever been able to level it up and as such it'll actually disappear out of there inventory an reappear in Thomas's. This has caused Thomas no little amount of grief. It has also caused this town a lot of problems as well. You see every time the hammer has reappeared it has caused Thomas to go on a rampage. Generally he'll destroy a building or two and it'll be over, however there have been casualties. There in lies the problem. May I know how you came to possess the knowledge of the hammer being cursed?" Guage walked up and put the parchment giving a warning about Drogon. However the magic had already been used up." Oh I see, so Ames informed you then?" Uriel shook his head." Then how?"

"Drogon." Uriel spoke only the one word he was getting useful info.

"Drogon, now that is a surprise I didn't realize trolls could talk. Or at least be understood by humans. Well anyway did he happen to tell you about the form the curse takes?" Uriel shook his head, he also realized that Onze had no idea that Drogon was once a Royal Court Magister. " As the hammer grows more powerful, those that are killed by it will start to invade your mind." Uriel couldn't believe it by the end of the game he was going to be a madman. " You see Thomas, hears those voices all the time it has destroyed his memory mostly, however, he has managed to keep some of the good ones however. No matter how old I get he still treats me like I'm 10, when he saved my life from a small pack of wolf-bears." Now Onze looked sad." I've never grown up in his eyes because he can only retain so many good memories while holding off the incessant wail of those he has killed with the hammer, Thomas is approaching 200 and nobody knows for sure how long he'll live so we keep him here and try to allow him to do the things he likes. That is because when the hammer takes control it's no longer the sweet man you've talked to up till now, He's a true monster and it usually takes all the paladins combined to take him down."

"How is it that Thomas is able to give the hammer away?" Uriel was confused."I thought it was soulbound?"

" That is information I don't know, it may have to do with him advancing in age, I'm not sure though." Onze looked puzzled he must truly not know why Thomas could give the hammer away. Uriel decided it was time to drop the subject. Now he wanted his quest rewards and was hoping that Onze would upgrade the rewards once he heard what they went through. After explaining what they went through to complete the quest Onze agreed to upgrade the rewards if only slightly. The reward had originally been 50 gold Onze decided to provide them with 100.

"Well what next?" Guage looked at Uriel.

" Onze would we be able to get passes to the capital? We've already passed level 10, plus we need to see Ames." Uriel asked Onze.

"What about our friends?" Guage thought that they would wait till they leveled up.

" We'll have to meet them in the capital anyway. As each class starts in a different part of the continent, so we might as well get a head start." Uriel realized that with the progress they made in one day would take most of the other players up to 3 days even if they were pros. " We are going to wait for them, but at the same time we might as well go see Ames. I think he can fill us in on a lot of missing pieces."

"Alright I guess that sounds like a good idea. We should send messages to our friends where to meet us though."

"I agree. Let's message them and then head to the capital." Uriel and Guage both brought up there message system, and sent messages almost simultaneously. " Alright let's go.