Orion

The group had returned to town after dealing with the ogre, as they had nothing else to do after the ordeal of bringing down the beast. Asher felt new power in his body that he couldn't explain. He had more energy contained before, but he hadn't truly felt powerful with the strength of the frost giant's within him.

He surmised it had to be something to do with the special abilities of the ogre. His power seemed to be more complicated than he knew. Asher figured he would brainstorm with Leah later about it. He smiled at the thought of his companion who had never left his side, no matter how complicated the situation had gotten. There weren't many people he would go out of his way to help, but she was one of them. She had truly proven to be a friend to him and he would forever be grateful for what she had done for him.

There was only one more day before the next match began. Asher had decided he was going to put a long term plan into effect. There were several reputable and renowned blacksmiths around the continent, they were skilled in not just smithing metal, but enchanting it as well. Asher was sure he could find someone who had talent and no name to do business with.

If Asher could bring one talented blacksmith out of poverty, he was sure it would inspire undying loyalty. Asher was sure he would receive only the finest equipment as well. There were many craftsmen who would go completely unnoticed and unknown in their lifetime. Asher didn't know if he was able to make a name for the one he chose, but he did intend to give whoever it was a job.

He wandered towards the guild in the time in between matches and found Colin behind the counter in his usual spot. The burly man had a wide grin on his face as he saw Asher approaching. "Where have you been and how are you, Asher?" the big man asked excitedly.

Asher smiled in response and answered, "I've been to quite a few different places recently, my friend. I'd be willing to wager you already knew that, though. You have eyes and ears everywhere, after all."

Colin nodded with a twinkle in his eyes. "You always were perceptive, Asher. What brings you here anyway? I would have figured you would be participating in the tournament, given the amount of coin to be had from it."

Asher grumbled, "They had me sit out two of the matches so they can whittle down some more people." Asher sighed before continuing, "I need to find a blacksmith to employ. Do you know anyone who is good at the trade, with no reputation built yet?"

Colin scratched his chin as he thought it over. His eyes lit up suddenly and he answered, "Now that you mention it, I do know a person who would be perfect for you. You'll like him, he's very work oriented and his attention to detail is astounding. His name is Orion."

Asher was intrigued. The moment Colin had begun talking about the man, he was interested in meeting him. There would be plenty of time for Asher to go over minor details later. For now, he wanted to lay claim to what Colin seemed to think would be a worthwhile person to add to Asher's growing list of allies.

Asher pulled out a map of the city and Colin marked down a spot in the marketplace. As soon as Asher had his location, he shook hands with Colin and said, "Thank you for your help. I hope the next time I see you, I return victorious from this tournament."

Colin nodded enthusiastically before replying, "Agreed. Make sure you take first place and your name will become known around every corner of the world. I hope to hear tales of Asher the great, who rose from a lowly station in life and into greatness."

Asher smiled at the entirely genuine words from Colin. He stared at the burly man for several moments in silence before finally saying, "Farewell my friend, I have business to attend to."

Asher left the guild and made his way towards the market and through the center of the city, eventually making his way into the slums. He knew he had to watch his back in this area, because there was quite a bit of crime and he was dressed in fairly flashy armor for the area. He moved quickly, not staying still for even a moment. When he arrived at his destination, he stopped in place for the first time since coming to the area. He couldn't pull his gaze away from the absolute squalor in front of him.

Despite the conditions of the meager forge, he could tell every bit of metal that was forged in the place was made meticulously. The quality was superb for the resources available. Asher still had not seen Orion, but he expected it wouldn't be long before he emerged from his home. While he waited, Asher observed his surroundings around what amounted to a hovel with a door.

There was a makeshift forge and a battered anvil. The sign above the shop simply said, "Blacksmith," in carved letters. Even Orion's home was nearly beyond repair, with patchwork wood nailed together, by Asher's guess, the nails were forged by the blacksmith himself to create the dwelling.

A man emerged from the decrepit hut. Asher took careful note of his features. He was lanky and young. By Asher's guess, he was only a teenager. His hands were calloused from what was likely an entire lifetime of working the forge. Asher couldn't even tell what color the young man's hair was because it was so dirty. His brown eyes stared at Asher from underneath a mop of matted hair. "Who are you?" the young man asked impatiently.

"A potential customer," Asher answered. He paused for a moment before he asked, "Are you Orion?"

The young man stayed silent for several moments. "I might be, what's it worth to you?"

"I might have a job for you. It's not glamorous, at least not yet. It will be well compensated, however. You were recommended by a good friend of mine. He usually has a good eye for talent."

Orion eyed Asher curiously. "How much are we talking about?"

Asher explained quite a bit with his next statement, "I want to open a business and I need someone to work that end. I'm no blacksmith, nor a merchant. You fit at least one of those categories. If you accept, I plan to be operational within a couple of months. In addition to that, I intend to have you formally trained whenever possible in order to personally forge all of my weapons and armor. Does that seem like a fair deal for taking you out of this place?"

Orion was frozen in thought. Asher could tell he was trying to figure out some form of extra condition to add on to his tenure. The thing about it was, there was nothing that could be added that the young blacksmith could even think of. Asher broke the silence eventually, tiring of Orion's hesitation.

"If you need proof of how successful this venture will be, watch the rank C tournament fights, starting tomorrow. You may be surprised at what you find waiting on you."

"But I have no money to buy my way into watching the fights," Orion mumbled.

Asher smirked as he produced a gold coin. The look in Orion's eyes lit up at the sight of the money. He knew with just one of those, he could open up his own shop in this area. A fleeting thought occurred to him to do just that, but curiosity got the best of him in the end. Asher left him to his devices and Orion spent the night thinking about the stranger that had visited him in the middle of the slums in Imperia at the heart of the empire.