Chapter Fifteen: The Craftsman

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 Aldrich stared at his torn-up sandals; it didn't come to him as a shock that after his fight with the borsak his sandals were damaged beyond repair. After his encounter with the forest spirit Malgiryan, Aldrich had immediately set off to meet the craftsman Richard had told him about. After journeying through the night, he finally saw a small brick made house in the middle of the forest at the early light of dawn. He knocked on the door once and found a small burly bald man coming into the house with his hand full of fire wood, the man looked disgusted at the sight of Aldrich at his door.

"What'r ye doin ere at this time, tis barely moonin." the man complained, he shoved Aldrich away from the door and entered the house, Aldrich said from behind him,

"You know if you need that for fire it's better to collect dry wood from the east side of the forest."

"Oh really, eh?" the man spat right in front of Aldrich's foot. - "If I wanted a lesson of how ter servive id'hve asked for it meself you runt." the man dropped the wood by an anvil. "Well are yeh goin to stand there all day?" he grunted.

Aldrich entered the shop and discovered all types of weaponry and as Richard said, the craftsman's work screamed his talent and uniqueness. Each piece of armoury, weapon of even shield was one unlike any Aldrich had seen before. One in particular caught his eye though. It was a long piece of wood carved into the shape of an arm. It wore the exact same type of leather armour Lydia wore except it was black.

"Well are yeh jus goin ter stand there or what?" the craftsman said irritably. He looked at the sword sheathed on Aldrich's back, his brows furrowed as he tried to get a better look but Aldrich turned away to get his attention.

"I need ammunition," he said to the man.

"You need a new pair sandals boy." He stared down at Aldrich's torn up sandals. "I can make some boots for you if that will do."

"That will do perfectly, I mean climb with them too."

"I can tell a young lad like you would appreciate my fine work." he then started to scan all around Aldrich's person trying to make out his fit. "Tell me boy, do yeh intend ter fight beasts?" he asked while carrying Aldrich's left arm. "Because if so, I have the perfect idea for armour and weapon, something like that." he gestured with his chin to a large full body silver armour holding a large double-edged axe. "I take it a strong lad like you can carry himself jus fine in summin like dat."

"Actually I just wanted to be able to carry a few daggers."

"A few, eh? You want them strapped to yeh?"

"Yes, also can I get something like that" he pointed at the leather armour on the wooden arm. The man's brows puckered as he looked at the armour, he faced Aldrich and said,

"That now you see, is one of a kind, took me five years to perfect it see." He gestured at a nearby stool telling Aldrich to sit and started picking a few daggers around. "The process involved in making it s' hell in I'self but the real challenge is finding the material." He started to inspect each dagger he brought out while constantly looking at Aldrich.

"What material does one need?"

"The egg of a borsak, tell me are yeh left-handed or right-handed?"

"Did you just say the egg of a borsak?"

"Well egg shell to be precise, now tell me your dominant arm lad."

"What does that matter now?" Aldrich said slightly aggravated, the man however didn't even spare him a second glance as he said,

"Every detail matters when I'm working laddie. Besides, only a mad man will try to get the egg of such a beast, so either yeh pay a fortune for the only one I have or---" his jaw dropped in shock when he found Aldrich holding up the egg of a borsak which had seemingly turned silver. "By Kalla's beard, how did yeh get that?"

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