Godslayer Arc 1.26 - Questions

“Forge-Knight, that is a most useful set of powers that you have,” says Drakvar as he sips at his cup of tea.

“As are your own,” replies the Forge-Knight in question as she sips at her own tea, “It must be useful to remain unaffected by magical attacks.”

“It is very much so Karola,” agrees Drakvar.

“This tea is very good,” says Valen as he also sips his tea.

“I concur, but I will admit that I prefer coffee to tea,” says Karola.

Drakvar is silent as he considers the powers of Forge-Knight Karola Manlin. The young woman has received an enhanced body much like Drakvar, Jordis and Shocker, but her own powers are different to any of theirs.

Now I think about it, I don’t even know what Shocker’s powers are.

But Karola’s are interesting to him. She has two minor powers of being able to identify any material that she can sense while also being able to analyse anything that she can sense. Admittedly those powers are rather weak, but even then, they would be extremely useful on their own.

No, it is Karola’s third power that has Drakvar’s attention. The ability to create powerful weapons, armours and gadgets. Such as her mechanised heavy plate armour and shoulder-mounted autocannon.

These weapons are not of magic and yet surpass any conventional counterparts.

“So why are you here?” asks Drakvar as he decides to get to the heart of matter.

“What do you mean?” replies Karola.

“Kar’mire,” clarifies Drakvar, “You hail from the West, but here you are in the capital of the South.”

“Ah, I am looking for my brother,” answers Karola as she puts down her cup of tea, “He is three years older dan me and moved down here when I was just turning sixteen. About three, no four years now.”

“Come to tell him about your new abilities in person?” inquires Valen.

“Yes and no,” says Karola, “I do wish to show him what I can do, but my main reason is dat I haven’t heard from him in a while. It was only a few days, but we were in regular contact using an old radio system dat I fixed up. So I came down here a few days ago to meet him only to find dat his district was quarantined.”

“The Thirteenth?” guesses Drakvar with a sinking feeling.

“Yes,” confirms Karola, “I suppose it is de only district dat has been quarantined recently and as I’m sure you know, nobody has seen or heard from anybody in de Thirteenth District since it got quarantined. So in de meantime, I put together a small forge, dis armour and de cannon.”

“We know why de Thirteenth District was quarantined and why nobody has been heard from,” says Valen darkly as he throws a grim look towards Drakvar which Drakvar has no problems returning.

“Why is dat?” asks Karola.

“A god-like otherworldly being who is responsible for your powers showed up and killed everybody in se Thirteenth District,” answers Valen bluntly, “It took Sir Galamin, se Ordic and Sentinel Dorrin to drive it away from our world.”

Drakvar grimaces as he watches Karola gape at Valen, her face locked in an expression of horror. But that expression soon changes into one of cold fury.

“Tell me all that you know,” demands Karola in a solemn voice, her face hard, “I need to know it all.”

And so they do and between them, Drakvar and Valen fill in Karola up until the part where Valen got his arm ripped off. At that point, Drakvar instinctively raises his arm just in time to block Shocker’s electric bolt.

“Hello Shocker,” says Drakvar as he turns to face the Champion of the Ti’darkei Order.

“Don’t call me that!” shouts Shocker as she blasts him again, but Drakvar is too stunned by the sight before him to even bother trying to blocking her latest assault.

In Drakvar’s eyes, Shocker is the same as before, but just more beautiful. He had realised that her Manifestation had increased her already good looks, but is it only now with her new armour that he has realised how gorgeous and alluring that she actually is.

Shocker is now just over two metres tall, but still not quite as tall as Drakvar. Her brown fur and hair is silky while her bright green eyes glisten. Her armour is the same gold and white plates with the Ti’darkei symbol, but has been reshaped to accommodate for her new and most magnificent curves and Drakvar can’t help, but stare. Her cloak hangs loosely around her shoulders while headset is still in place even if it isn’t turned on.

Oh, she is truly beautiful.

“What are you looking at?” demands Shocker as she blasts Drakvar again.

“You,” answers Drakvar, again not bothering to block the latest attack as he is still dumbstruck by Shocker’s beauty.

Meanwhile Valen begins to laugh and Shocker turns her glare on him and blasts Drakvar again.

“Who is this?” asks Karola as she watches the scene unfold.

“I am Champion Miskara Stormmistress of the Ti’darkei Order,” Shocker introduces herself, “And who might you be?”

“I am Forge-Knight Karola Manlin,” replies Karola.

“A Forge-Knight?” repeats Shocker in an inquiring tone, “And what exactly are you wearing?”

***

Drakvar smiles at Jordis as he looks at the young girl sitting on his lap as she reads one of her books.

He treasures the young Kithen greatly and enjoys spending time with her. Just as he enjoys spending time with Shocker and Valen.

“Family is a wonderful thing to have,” says Sir Galamin from next to Drakvar and he jumps in surprise.

Where did he come from?!

“Yeah,” agrees Drakvar as he looks over to where Valen, Shocker and Karola are explaining things to each other, drinking some fresh tea that Drakvar prepared for them, “Do you want some tea Master?”

“No thank you Squire,” replies Sir Galamin, “But thank you for the offer.”

“So why are you here?” inquires Drakvar.

“The Forge-Knight,” answers Sir Galamin, “Her creations are not the first of their kind to exist on Lyatar.”

“What do you mean?” asks Drakvar.

“The Knights of Deltae that brought about civilisation so long ago used technology not magic to achieve their miracles,” answers Sir Galamin, “Now Squire, I would like a combat analysis of the Revenant Mechanical Units.”