27

Chapter Twenty Seven

B L A C K S M I T H : BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

The little man came running as Osiris was finishing his packing. It wasn't much, just a few pairs of clothing and enough snacks to get him to the field, but it was light enough. He was going to be ravenous once they arrive, eating on the way or not. The King promised to always send enough food to feed him, and the soldiers he will be stationed with. Osiris was hesitant to believe him. He knows that rat bastard will do what he can for him out of guilt, but in war there are not always options. He was going to need to dehydrate a lot of the food that was sent once they arrived.

"That was fast."

Osiris thought the weapon was never coming.

"It was harder than I thought to mix Obsidian and Myrtle together. It's been awhile since I've worked on a fire based user. That, on top of a mana cap that can grow with you…. if you see even a chip you must contact me. I will need to repair it. You must learn to fight with and without them. Le mettre à nu."

"Bye strange little man."

Duldan held his tongue.

The child was going off to die anyways, he will let him have the last word this one time.

Osiris let the man leave before he opened the box.

The piece was heavy.

Every muscle in his hand was running taunt just to keep it at stomach level. Osiris dropped it onto his bed. The box kept dropping until he heard the frame give and the baseboard fell.

Osiris started at the package.

It was wrapped in a plain brown box with brown wrapping, only this one had a bow on it. Behind it, a notecard was tucked into it.

Try saying these words when you are practicing.

HOOK

DRAW

DELAY

BLUDGEON

Osiris tossed the card to the side and opened the box.

It was a ten piece set.

The individual piece looked like stubby little claws made in the lightest colored metal he has ever seen. It seemed like it would blend into his skin.

Osiris picked up a part.

He expected there to be latches or extra wrappings to make it complicated, but it was simple as placing it over a toe and using the delicately crafted bundle of metal rope to wrap it underneath.

It clicked into place like a seatbelt.

The latch to release it was right below it.

Though the design was simple, Osiris could see mana woven in tightly, giving it an oil slick shine when it hit the light at an angle. The weight was distributed evenly. Osiris did not feel the faulty weight of a blade that was rushed on any of the parts as a whole.

Osiris looked at the clock.

He had two hours left before he had to meet the King at the gate. Huffing his way to the ground Osiris got to work putting on the weapon as he sat and struggled with the stupid latches.

The latches were too small.

Osiris's meaty hands kept dropping the end that snaps in. He was getting frustrated. As his body grew his feet and hands were the first things to come in. He looked like those pups with gangly limbs and paws too big for their own good.

Osiris sighed and put the current piece down. He had three on his left and two on his right. Moving to a different toe Osiris, eventually, managed to get the set on.

Standing was easy.

He got up and tried to lift a foot only to fall face forward with his two feet glued to the ground. His nose burned from the impact.

Standing again was more difficult. He bent and twisted around until he could balance on his barely budging toes.

As he stood he could feel the metal nails dig into the floor. Then his mana found a way to connect to it.

Euphoria.

His mana sang as it filled the claws to the brim with itself. As if replying, the claws shook and clattered around his skin, clanking together with its other parts in a weird little song.

Once the claws were topped off they settled and his mana followed suit.

".."

"Hook."

An impression of what Osiris thought was a raptor claw, swelled around his feet like an after image stuck in a shot. The claws flexed up and fanned out before sinking into the ground and gripping it. The floor in his room cracked and caved as the talon sunk its claws into the rock.

Osiris tried to move.

He could even budge.

Osiris put a finger to his chin. He could feel his mana push into the weapon until it topped off once again. It didn't put a dent in his reserves but it took a good bite out of it. Osiris sighed. He still had a long way to go.

"Now how do I turn it off?"

".."

It felt like his toes were curled, like he was the one flexing his joints. He pretended to uncurl the imaginary hold and the spell broke, leaving sparks to flan out and dissipate.

".."

"Draw."

Nothing happened.

"Draw."

".."

Osiris summoned a bit of strength and tried again, only this time with a little kick added in.

"Draw."

His little kick extended across the room in an orange copy of his leg and caused a chair to fall. Osiris began to smile. He turned to his bed and did a sidekick.

"Delay."

He kicked the already broken bed and his little thud hit. Nothing happened. A bit disappointed, Osiris moved to fix his stand when he heard and saw a phantom leg hit the same post with the same speed and strength of his last. The smile brightened.

"Bludgeon."

His room grayed and Osiris had to lean on his knee as his mana began draining hard and fast. The ground beneath his feet compressed and cracked. Osiris groaned. He went to try and stand but the blood rushed to his head as his mana dropped below half.

He stumbled.

His steps kept pressuring the floor like they were releasing gravity down upon them.

He felt light and heavy all at once.

His mana was a quarter full.

Osiris panicked. He threw himself to the floor and tried to take the claws off.

They would not come off.

"Mother fuckers."

His skin clammed up, and a thick layer of cold sweat splashed his body. His limbs began to shake. Osiris grit his teeth.

Right as his reserves were about to hit zero the pressure stopped and Osiris fell back and he gulped in air like a dying man. Osiris lifted a hand. It shook.

Mana exhaustion.

Osiris kept heaving as he let his body relax.

".."

This was going to be so much fun.