Chapter 6 The Commission

Elysia eyed the groups of Chrotile sparing and training as she followed Thrazk back out onto the road. They took a left toward the massive complex at the end of the road. Chrotile bowed their heads to Thrazk as they passed. Some even gave Elysia a bow. Unsure of how to respond, Elysia nodded back before trotting to keep up with Thrazk.

When they entered through the gate, Elysia found herself in a beautiful courtyard with many unfamiliar plants, most of which had a reddish coloring to them to match their owners. She couldn’t linger long despite her desire to do so as Thrazk kept walking down the black and red scaled pathway through the middle of the courtyard.

A minute later, they reached the other side and entered a building through a double doored entryway. Like the outside, everything had a red tint to it as if looking through the red lenses of 3d glasses. While she liked red, she would get sick of it quick here. She wondered if there were purple Chrotile. So far, she hadn’t seen any, but there was still a chance.

The room appeared to be a sort of meeting room with one chair slightly larger and heavier decorated at the far end of the room. Likely meant for the leader of the clan.

Without breaking stride, Thrazk took a right through a doorway, then another left to bring them into a much smaller training room.

Elysia’s eyes landed on two other Chrotile in the room. A thinner red Chrotile she guessed was female, and another similar sized to Thrazk, though slightly shorter and less bulky. Both Chrotile bowed to Thrazk, though the larger one bowed deeper.

Thrazk nodded his head to both before turning his attention to the table filled with an array of whips. “Excellent selection Nephew. You may leave now.”

The larger Chrotile bowed one more time before striding out the door, leaving them with the smallest Chrotile Elysia had seen yet. The Chrotile stayed off to the side as Elysia joined Thrazk in inspecting the whips. Her eyes landed on a cat-o’-nine-tails, but quickly looked away with a blush. Why did she have to pick a whip? Well, she didn’t have to. Maybe she should just go with a spear. It would probably be cheaper to commission.

“See any you like?”

Elysia scanned the coils of whips for several seconds before replying, “Not really. They all look the same to me coiled up.”

“Yes, these lack the personality of a special made weapon. We keep at least one type of every weapon in our armory as spares.” After a glance at Elysia’s ever glowing veins, he added, “I would avoid channeling your lightning through any of these, especially with your control.”

The other Chrotile perked up at the mention of lightning. “So, this is the one you were talking about brother? The one you want me to train? If she can’t even channel her lightning through a quality weapon, she may not have much talent despite her race.”

Elysia turned her shining violet eyes on the other Chrotile, lightning sparking off her skin. “You don’t even know me. Yet you are judging. Ever think you may not be worthy to teach me?”

The Chrotile smiled in response before turning to her brother, “she’s got a bit of fight in her.”

Thrazk nodded his head before picking up a whip and turning to Elysia. “this is a basic bull whip. I wouldn’t recommend one for damage but it’s perfect for practicing. They are relatively easy to crack and long enough to coil around a target. However, unless it is enchanted, it’s quite limited in dealing damage. Still, no matter what you choose, I would recommend having one of these for practice.”

Curious, Elysia took the whip and uncoiled it. The whip was longer than the practice whip at three meters. She ran her hand along the smooth surface of the whip to find it tapered toward the end. He was right. A whip like this would be fun to play with, but she doubted she could do much damage. She needed something that could do damage without her lightning.

Despite her thoughts, she flicked the whip as a test. However, unlike the shorter practice whip, it refused to crack. She tried again, this time more forcefully, but like the previous attempt, it flopped limply on the floor.

The smaller Chrotile turned to Thrazk with a skeptical expression. “Are you sure a whip is the best option for her? I know you were a fan of our aunt, but I think it would take a lot of training to get her combat ready.”

“She lacks the strength for most weapons. Her dexterity and perception are quite high for her level, so I was thinking about something that capitalizes on those attributes. A rapier may work too, but those lack the utility of a whip. She has experience with throwing knives, so my thinking is a whip for mid range and knives for short and possibly long to complement her lightning.” Explained Thrazk.

Elysia sent a glare at the smaller Chrotile. “Quit talking like I’m not here.”

Like last time, the recipient of her glare just smiled in response before continuing. “I like her.”

“I figured you would. Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

“Oh, how rude of me. I’m used to everyone knowing me.” Commented Thoss without a hint of remorse for her jabs.

The smaller Chrotile turned to Elysia. “Hello young elemental. My name is Thoss, the elementalist.”

Elysia smothered a scowl in favor of a polite smile. “Hi Thoss, my name is Elysia.”

Thoss nodded her head before turning to the table. She ran her claws over several whips before stopping on a gray whip that looked similar to the bullwhip. “Try this one. While it will take a lot to master, it has a lot higher damage potential, especially on unarmored targets.”

Thrazk nodded his head at the choice. “That was my next choice for her to try. I was hesitant for her to use one of those, as they can be dangerous to use and quite unwieldy. Though if used properly, they could be devastating.”

“Dangerous? It looks just like this bullwhip.” Question Elysia eying the seemingly harmless gray whip.

Her curiosity got the better of her pushing her two set down the bullwhip and pick up the new whip. She ran her finger up the smooth length toward the handle before giving the duo a confused look.

With a secretive smile, Thoss said, “Run your finger in the other direction.”

Thrazk shot a look at his sister before adding, “Be careful.”

Instead of trying, Elysia asked, “I’m guessing it’s sharp?”

Thoss pouted at her failed trap but nodded. “Yes, the whip has sharp reverse scales excellent for leaving nasty gashes and digging into enemies when coiled around them.”

Unable to resist, Elysia lightly slid her finger along the whip, earning herself a sharp pain. Glowing purple blood balloon from the cut on her right pointer finger as the cut healed.

Mesmerized, Elysia stared down at the dimming purple blood before Thrazk drew her attention. “What do you think? We have several other types of whips to try out.”

Elysia set the whip on the table before wiping the blood on her shorts. She returned her attention to the table before grabbing a rather menacing, thorny brown whip. Careful to avoid cutting herself, she uncoiled it but refrained from giving it a flick in fear of slicing herself. After testing the weight of the whip, she set it back on the table, then returned her attention to Thrazk.

“Really, I’m not sure. I have zero experience with whips. Maybe it would be better to use a spear. At least I can somewhat use one of those.”

Already decided, Thrazk shook his head, though his sister gave him a look saying to reconsider. Before he could speak, his sister beat him to it. “While I understand your reasoning, brother, I have to agree with her. A whip may not be the best choice. They are notoriously hard to master, with little upside compared to other weapons. However, looking at her frame, she would struggle with most weapons. I’m partial to a spear myself, but they lack flexibility, especially in close range.”

“What’s your recommendation, then?”

“A focus.” Answered Thoss instantly, as if it was the most obvious choice.

Thrazk stared at his sister with skepticism. “She doesn’t need help with her lightning. The weapon is supposed to allow her to save her lightning while still being able to deal damage. And besides, why can’t a whip be a focus?”

Just as stubborn as her brother, Thoss continued in an argumentative tone. “If what you say is true, and she is struggling with running her lightning through items, it means she will need a focus until she can put in the training to improve her affinity. While you are right, she could commission a focus into a whip. It would be better if it were a separate item. She is way too small to win any physical fight at higher levels, so her best bet is to augment her strength.”

“She won’t need to win a physical fight with a whip if she masters it. It was the main reason I suggested one.” Countered Thrazk.

Elysia let out a sigh before interrupting their argument. “How much will a focus cost on top of a good quality whip? I’m all for empowering my lightning, but I agree with Thrazk I need a weapon. A weapon has saved me way too many times to risk going without one.”

The siblings fell silent, doing their mental math before they both opened their mouth to speak. Elysia wordlessly pointed at Thrazk to speak first.

“If you choose a razor scale whip, you could use your serpent scales to cut down on cost. I’m no expert on crafting, but they can melt most materials down while retaining their effects so the spikes could be forged into handle and the whip core.”

“I want to use the scales for armor, though.”

With a hopeful expression, Thrazk suggested, “What if we delve into the Neah Bay dungeon and grab a few of those crab legs and a skill crystal? From what I can tell, the skill crystal allows the user to sharpen their weapons.”

Elysia gave him a are you dumb look but kept her tone respectful as she spoke. “Remember, I can’t use mana, so a skill is out.”

Having expected her lack of knowledge, Thrazk added, “The skill crystal isn’t for you to use. An enchanter can use a high grade mana crystal to imbue an item with that trait. It will have limited uses without mana powering it, but it could let you save the scales.”

“I don’t think I like the idea of limited uses. I’m already limited on my charge. I don’t want to ration the use of the whip. Besides, wouldn’t it be pretty much useless without the skill active?”

“Mana shouldn’t be an issue. The mana in the air should sustain the enchantments and as long as you keep a mana crystal handy, the whip should be at full power at all times.” Replied Thoss.

“Could I have a socket added to the whip for a mana crystal?”

“I suppose you could, but the weapon will have to be designed around it to keep it well balanced.”

“So, if I don’t use my scales for the whip, will the cost be a lot more? I have limited funds.” Inquired Elysia.

“While I would prefer you use the scales, as they are already attuned to you, yes, you should have plenty to have a whip commissioned and armor.”

Elysia gave Thrazk a suspicious look as she questioned, “How do you know how much I have?”

As if the answer was obvious, both siblings responded, “Urus told us.”

Stupid nosy turtle. Elysia’s hands flashed to her mouth as sweat formed at the thought.

A heavy presence descended on the trio, causing Elysia to pale, but instead of smiting her down, it vibrated in mirth before retreating once more, having accomplished her mission.

The duo gave her a knowing smile, letting her stew for a minute before Thoss broke the silence to bring them back on the subject. “There’s one problem about my brother’s idea. Urus blocked everyone from leaving until Mezo opens in a week, so you won’t be able to dungeon dive until then.”

An idea sprouted in Thrazk’s mind, prompting him to suggest. “What if we send Elysia to Mezo? It would be a wonderful training opportunity.”

Thoss gave Elysia a scan before commenting, “Are you sure that’s wise? It will be nearly double her level.”

“We cleared a dungeon almost four times her level, though I did most of the work. I think she should have enough firepower with a team.”

Still set on her idea, Thoss commented, “All the more reason for her to commission a focus.”

“What is Mezo? Is it a dungeon?” Asked Elysia, curiosity glinting in her eyes.

“Sort of. It’s hard to explain. It’s more like multiple interconnected dungeons of a similar type.” Thrazk replied.

It could be a good idea to join in the delve it’s probably safer than solo delves. Though she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of delving with an unknown team. Either way, she needed to commission weapons and armor, so she had better make her mind up.

“Will a low grade sharpening skill crystal work for a weapon?”

Both Chrotile shook their head as Thrazk spoke, “No it needs to be high grade to stick. The potency of the skill degrades when imbued into an item, so a low or medium grade skill crystal will degrade too much.”

“If Urus told you how much I have, do I have enough scales for armor and a whip?”

After a pause, Thrazk replied with a saddened expression, “Unfortunately, no, not for full scaled armor. You barely have enough for the armor alone.”

“Could use the crystals for vital spots on the armor and another material for the rest?”

“Maybe.” Thrazk replied before pausing as his gaze went distant. “According to Urus, that should work.”

After several minutes of contemplation, Elysia decided out loud. “Ok, I think I’ll commission the scaled whip then and armor with the rest of the scales. If there are any spikes left over, I would like a short sword or some throwing knives as a backup weapon.”

Elysia glanced at Thoss before adding, “If it isn’t too much, I would like a focus too, though I’m not sure what I should commission it as.”

Thoss perked up as she explained, “For a lower grade focus you need, it shouldn’t be too much, five medium grade mana crystals at most. As for the item type, I think a ring would be best. Best practice is to make it into an item you plan to channel through, so a ring is a common choice. As it’s your first focus that you will grow out of, there is no need to be fancy.”

“Ok, I guess I’ll take a ring focus then.”

With a business-like tone, Urus spoke in their minds out of nowhere. “I have notified them. Thank you for your business, young elemental.”

Elysia shivered at the sudden mental intrusion, but kept her thoughts as blank as she could to avoid accidentally insulting the massive turtle.