SWNOVELXO Chapter 20: Convincing Torvin
As they were sneaking through a narrow alley, Shapira suddenly stopped, raising a hand for the others to halt as well. With a nod of her head, she pointed to the alley's exit, which opened onto a wider street. The way was blocked by a group of at least five Reapers, moving slowly, like a hunting wolf pack.
"Now what? Do we force our way through?" Arthur asked in a whisper, his thumb already poised to unsheathe his sword.
"I'll take the two in front…" said Zamir, already pulling an arrow from his quiver.
"None of that," Shapira interrupted, her voice a low, urgent hiss. "Fighting openly here? That will just draw the attention of every single one of them on this whole street. We need a decoy, a distraction."
She looked around, her experienced eyes scanning the chaotic environment of the alley. There were piles of trash and broken crates. At the end of the alley, on the opposite side from the guarded street, was an abandoned merchant's cart with a few barrels still tied to it.
"There," she pointed. "Zamir, do you have a fire arrow or something that makes noise?"
"I have one with a flint tip. If I hit something metal, it'll make one hell of a noise," he replied.
"Perfect. Aim for the metal buckle holding that top barrel. The sound of your arrow, plus the crash of the barrel falling, should get their attention for a few seconds." She looked at the two of them. "When they turn towards the sound, we run. No hesitation, no looking back. Understood?"
Arthur and Zamir nodded.
Zamir took his position, drawing the bowstring with a practiced silence. Shapira and Arthur prepared to run, their muscles tense.
TWANG!
The arrow cut through the air and hit the metal buckle with a sharp, loud CLANG! that echoed through the alley. As Shapira had predicted, the strap broke and the heavy wooden barrel plummeted, shattering on the stone ground with a deafening CRASH!
On the street, all the Reapers turned instantly in the direction of the noise, their cowled heads moving in an eerie synchrony.
"NOW!" Shapira hissed.
The three of them shot out of the alley, running crouched along the side of the street, using the distraction to their advantage. They slipped past the Reapers, who were still focused on the direction of the sound, and dove into another alley on the other side, their hearts pounding against their ribs. They had managed to get by unnoticed.
"That was close," Arthur said, panting, leaning against the wall.
"That's why she's the leader, kid," Zamir replied, with a rare smile of admiration. "Brains beat brawn. Most of the time."
"Keep moving," Shapira said, already looking around the next corner. "We're not there yet."
She led them through another series of alleys, and the sound of chaos began to grow louder and closer. They were no longer moving away from it; they were heading towards the heart of the problem. Finally, they emerged from a narrow alley and found themselves in the town's central square.
The place, which should have been the vibrant center of commerce, was now a battle stage. The large Adventurers' Guild building had its doors wide open, serving as a point of refuge and organization. Adventurers were coming and going, some injured, others joining groups to defend the streets. There were small barricades made from overturned carts, and a few Royal Knights were fighting to maintain a defensive line against waves of Reapers trying to advance.
Next to the Guild, imposing and familiar, stood Torvin's forge.
On the other side of the Guild, Zamir's shop had its entrance completely destroyed, an empty shell of what it once was.
"Home sweet home… or what's left of it," Zamir muttered bitterly, looking at his ruined shop before focusing on the forge.
"What do we do? Go into the Guild? Ask for help?" Arthur asked, feeling small before the scale of the conflict.
Shapira shook her head. "No. The Guild is chaos. Too many people, too many questions. We need a place to plan. First, Torvin."
She pointed to the forge.
They then ran to the heavy forge door and found it locked, as expected. Shapira took a deep breath and banged on it forcefully.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"It's me, Shapira! We need help, Torvin!" she said, her voice tense and energetic.
No answer.
"Just what we needed. The beanpole isn't home," Zamir exclaimed, looking nervously at the square full of Reapers.
"TORVIN!" Shapira shouted, her voice a mix of urgency and irritation. "OPEN THIS DOOR NOW OR I SWEAR I'LL BREAK IT DOWN WITH YOU INSIDE!"
The heavy sound of a metal bar being dragged came from within, and then, with a loud creak, the door opened just a crack. Torvin appeared.
"Did you have to make so much noise?" he grumbled, his voice deep and hoarse. His tired eyes passed over Shapira, then Zamir, and finally landed on Arthur.
"I see the end of the world has arrived. Get in, quickly, before you bring that mess to my door."
He opened the door just enough for them to squeeze through, and as soon as the last one was inside, he shut it with a heavy thud, sliding a large metal bar to lock it.
The sound of the metal bar sliding back into place was the most comforting sound Arthur had heard all day.
Torvin crossed his arms, facing the group. His expression was grim.
"Reapers, isn't it? Haven't seen them since we were adventurers. That means someone opened that damned catacomb," Torvin exclaimed, his voice a mixture of irritation and exhaustion.
"Exactly, Torvin. And we need your help. We need to go there and solve this," Shapira said, with a pleading look.
"I can't do that, guys," he replied, his voice low and firm, pointing to the ceiling. "There are people upstairs who depend on me."
Zamir stepped closer, his mocking attitude now replaced by a rare seriousness. "I understand your family depends on you, but think about it rationally. By the time the Royal Knights get here… by the time Nyra gets here… everything will be in ruins. And I don't think you want that for your family, right? How long do you think this house will hold up? Soon, they'll destroy everything out there and then they'll come here to do whatever they please," Zamir said, placing a hand on Torvin's shoulder.
Arthur didn't know that Torvin had a family. When he had met him earlier, he was alone, and Shapira hadn't mentioned any relatives. But that didn't matter now. He just hoped the two could convince the blacksmith.
Torvin was pensive. He stepped away from the group and took a few steps towards a small, thick observation window, from which he could see parts of the ruined square and the smoke-stained sky. He hesitated, the agony of his decision stamped on his face. The weight of the world seemed to be on his shoulders at that moment.
Suddenly, a loud sound came from upstairs: the frightened cry of a child.
The sound seemed to break something inside Torvin. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He didn't turn to face them, but his voice rang through the house, low and filled with a contained fury.
"Five minutes. Give me five minutes to talk to my wife. Then… then we're going to hunt some bastards."
He went up the wooden stairs leading to the second floor without another word, leaving the three behind in the heat of the forge.
"He agreed…" Arthur whispered, surprised.
"He didn't have a choice," Shapira replied, looking at the stairs with a complex expression. "No one does. Not this time."
"Alright. While the big guy says his goodbyes, let's get ready," Zamir said in a practical tone, starting to look at the weapons hanging on the walls. "We're going to need everything we can carry."
As Torvin went up, the others began to observe the weapons hanging on the blacksmith's wall. There were swords, axes, and maces of all types. A great doubt hung in the air: what to take? It couldn't be something too heavy, as they would be walking a lot, and these retired adventurers knew they were no longer in peak physical condition.
While they were all looking, Torvin came down the stairs. His expression was a mask of sadness and fear, but his eyes now burned with a new resolution.
"I'll leave them in the basement," he said, his voice firm. "There, it's probably the safest place in the city. And you…" he looked at the weapons they were inspecting.
"...don't take those. I have something more precious for us. Let's all go to the basement."