Death After Death

It took another three months before Simon felt like he understood what he was doing and completed the enchantment on his sword. Unlike the armor and the scabbard, which did nothing to confirm that he’d actually succeeded in his efforts, the flames of his weapon sprang immediately to life.

Simon instantly shoved it into the scabbard, and only once that seemed to extinguish it did, he finally breathe a sigh of relief. “Finally,” he said to himself, “I’m ready.”

He still had to test the gloves, of course, since he was sure the weapon would heat up to the point where he could no longer hold it within a few minutes, but he was confident that it would work fine. After all, he’d spent most of this time trying to understand exactly how he could enchant an item to do two different things at once, and it was only when he’d made that breakthrough that he finally felt like he could activate the runes on his blade.

Now though, he needed to sleep. In the morning, he could get ready, and then he could finally get out of Hybissian’s hair. In the morning, he began to pack, and once he verified that his gloves were almost entirely fireproof, he made a little time to show off his new weapon to Majoria. He did it in private, though, of course. He didn’t want to upset the villagers and provoke a witch hunt just when he was finally ready to move to the next level.

“You really made this?” she asked, wide-eyed, as he unsheathed his flaming blade and showed it to her. “I never imagined such a thing would be possible!”

Simon explained some of the basics of what he’d done and how it wasn’t so hard, but as she nodded eagerly and seemed to hang on his every word, even those he was fairly certain she didn’t understand, he noticed something. Simon realized from the way she was looking at him over the flaming weapon with a mixture of awe and admiration that he could have her if he wanted her. It was a strange moment in his life because he’d never been certain of that before now. Not even with Freya during their second time together. The moment had just snuck up on him.

Here though, there was some magic - some connection, and he could seize it. It was a tempting moment. Instead of plunging deeper into the arctic level just ahead, he could stay here with a beautiful woman to keep him warm. He could try to forget Freya and move on with a comfortable life.

Instead, he sheathed his sword and said goodbye to the sweet young woman before he turned his back on her and began climbing up the hill toward his date with destiny. Majoria’s cute smile might be enough to make him forget the way Freya once looked at him with her beautiful eyes, but nothing she could do would help him clear this dungeon, and at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

Even though it was a warm morning that would be sweltering by midday, he put on his gloves and covered his face from the nose down with a cloth wrap before he lifted his hood. Only then did he open the door. Majoria and a few other townspeople watched him from a distance. They’d seen him at this door before, but he’d never gone through it. Today would be the last time they’d ever see him.