Qun has told me that the World Forge contains the flames of creations. It is the very power from which all life originates. Holymen store a piece of the flames within themselves. They can use it to imbue themselves with life. Increased strength, speed, vitality, power. I do not know how it works, Qun would not tell me, but it was different from Skills.

The shop was situated at the edge of the city, as far away from the Hearth as possible. It sat at the border between the merchant district and the Boroughs, the part of the city that housed Commons. Of course, a bookshop was a strange thing to put so close to the Commons. It was too far away to be convenient for any Nobles looking for anything, and books were too expensive and useless for Commons to bother with. Given that fact, it never had any customers. And that’s what made it the perfect base for a rebellion against the Eternal Empire, right under the Supreme One’s nose.

Even though it was mostly deserted, Thrace still sat near its front, leaning against the chair with his arms crossed. He kept his eyes on the door, his feet on edge, ready to spring up at the sign of any intrusion. Severus managed the desk at the front, scribbling away on top of leather strips that functioned as paper. The books of the shop too, were made of this leather, with their binding a harder leather. Paper was extremely rare; most paper books originating from the Pre-Frost era.

The metal books shelves also acted as perfect cover. Their maze-like arrangement made it easy to conceal Milli, who was seated in a far corner, perusing various story books and sipping on tea. Merrill and the goddess, Illyra, sat a short distance from her, talking.

“No weaknesses that I know of.” Illyra said. “You’ll have to beat him in a fight.”

“That’s impossible. He’s god.” Merrill said, leaning back in her chair.

“No. I’m a god. He’s just a Blessed One. And so are you. But your level is too low.” She said, sipping on tea.

“You keep saying that, what does that mean?” Merrill said, sitting back up and leaning forward.

“You’re the second strongest in this group at level 28. That girl over there is level 37. The Demon King is level 100. You’ll have to level up if you wish to fight him properly.”

“So, you’re telling me, he can be beaten?” Merrill’s eyes widened as she leaned closer.

“Yes. It’s very possible. It’s the system we designed after all. We made it so Blessed Ones can be toppled. All you have to do is level up.”

“But what does that mean?” Merrill said, scratching her head in frustration.

“You need Experience.” She said.

“That stuff that some Nobles like to hoard? But it’s just useless crystals…”

“No.” Milli said, looking up from her book. “The Supreme One gifts Experience to Nobles who are worthy. It’s how a low house can eventually rise to a Great one. Milli doesn’t know how it works, but grandpapa had a good amount of it.”

“I’ve stolen crystals before. I never understood how they worked.”

“You need a goddess to metabolize the power for you and give it to.” Illyra said. “Give me the crystals, and I can raise your level.”

“And when we reach level 100…”

“You can face the Demon King, and win. Easily, if you outnumber him.” She said.

“Milli, you just said that your grandfather had a huge stockpile?” Merrill turned to Milli, who was writing something into the books with a charcoal pen.

“Hmm? Ah, yes. Well, not big. Milli saw it. Only a few crystals. Not enough to fit in your hand.”

“Good girl Milli.” She smiled. Milli stood up and ran over to her. Merrill patted her head like she was a puppy.

“What you thinking Merrill?” Milli asked as she was getting pat.

“Well,” Merrill began, embracing Milli into a hug. “I’m thinking, I hit a couple Noble houses, take a bit of their Experience, and use the goddess here to raise our level.”

“Milli wouldn’t recommend that. Most Nobles have Rangers posted to guard against Rogues and Assassins.” Milli said.

“Oh Milli. You underestimate me so. It breaks big sister’s heart.” She said, squeezing the younger girl harder. “Severus!” She yelled.

“Yes boss?” Severus answered from the front desk.

“Is Anton back yet?”

“He still running the errand. Securing us a ride out of the Capital.”

“That’s concerning. He shouldn’t’ be taking this long.” Merrill sighed, letting Milli go. “Honestly, robbing the Noble might actually be a bad idea. It only takes a good Ranger and some counter Assassins, and I’m done for.” Merrill sat down, thinking for a second. “What about the Experience Mines?”

“The Experience… Mines?” Illyra said, tilting her head in confusion.

“Yes. It’s where the Nobles get the Experience from. It’s also famous for being essentially capital punishment for misbehaving Commons.”

A loud hissing noise echoed through the bookshop, interrupting the conversation.

“Dammit! Thrace!” Merrill yelled.

“Yes Boss?”

“The pipe burst again.”

“I got it.”

“The pipes?” Illyra asked.

“We keep the pressure mounted in the building. In case we need to literally blow shop. Mask an escape so to speak.” She said with a wink. Illyra just nodded. “So about these mines…”

The door swung open, the bell ringing out as Anton entered. He stopped in front of Severus, looking down at his feet.

“What is it?” Severus asked, raising an eyebrow, but not looking up from his work.

“I… I betrayed you.” Anton said, looking ashamed.

The windows exploded, forcing Severus to duck behind the desk. Anton was caught in the blast, sending him flying against a bookshelf. Thrace steeled himself, bracing up against the chair. Milli ducked under the table, Merrill drawing forth her daggers and rushing to the front of the shop.

A shadowy figure entered, its long robes trailing behind it as it casually entered the shop, unconcerned by the shards of glass. It clasped its hands together as it entered, perpetual grin on its face. Steam fumed from it as it exhaled, scanning the room. Merrill braced up as soon as she saw it, crouching down with both daggers forward.

“A Fallen Hand.” Severus said, mouth agape, peeking over the desktop.

The creature’s grin seemed to widen when it spotted Merrill. It unclasped its hands, and stretched them out into a t pose, as if relishing the atmosphere of destruction around it. Its masked face locked itself with Merrill eyes, and it flourished into a wide bow. It looked up, as if expecting a reaction.

“By the frosts…” Merrill cursed.

[Charge of Bull]

Thrace slammed into the thing at incredible speed, smashing into a pillar behind it. He pressed against it, delivering several hard punches into its gut. It did not react. Instead, it responded, backhanding Thrace and sending him flying several feet backwards.

[Magical Strike] Severus answered, sending out several green bursts of light, which dug into the Hand’s chest, burning the robes but not penetrating any deeper. It casually strolled up to Merrill, steam pouring from where it had been hit. [Lethal Strike] at blinding speeds she sliced into the throat and arteries. The attack caused a plume of steam to burst from the wound, but the creature was unaffected. It wrapped its hands around Merrill neck, and began to squeeze, hard.

“Good. Suffer.” It said, steam emerging as it spoke. “You have something that doesn’t belong to you.” It growled. “Where is it?”

Merrill stabbed and flailed, driving one dagger into its neck, the other into its chest. It didn’t react, though steam burst from the wounds, like a pipe under pressure. Thrace tackled the creature, throwing it down onto the ground, pinning it with a lock. Severus leapt over the counter, delivering another round of magical blasts into it. Anton just stood there, dumb founded.

Milli emerged, towing Illyra by the hand.

“What is that monster?” Illyra asked the girl.

Milli shook her head.

The Hand exploded upwards, slamming Thrace against the ceiling. It shrugged off several slices from Merrill, smashing her aside as it strode towards Illyra. She backed away in fear, but the figure just wouldn’t stop approaching.

[Boisterous Blow] Anton struck, delivering a cross to its face. The creature’s head jerked slightly, but it kept walking.

“Stop damn you!” He cried, wrapping his arms around it from behind. It dragged his feet along as it kept walking forward. [Boisterous Blow] he cast again and again, delivering hard strikes to its spine and legs. And yet it would not stop. Anton released his grip, leapt, and slammed an elbow against its metal mask, almost knocking it off. The Hand stopped, turning towards to boy. In one swift motion it drew a dagger and drove it into his eye before he could react. Anton collapsed backwards as the creature pulled its weapon from him.

“Milli!” Merrill cried, charging the beast.

[Healing] She focused on Anton. But he did not rise. She looked at him in shock, her eyes widening in fear.

[Deadly Triangle] Merrill slashed across the neck, the thigh, and the chest. The creature tried the same move on Merrill but was buffeted by Severus’s attacks. [Charge of Bull] Thrace zoomed forward, tackling the creature once again and slamming him into a book shelf. It drove its weapon deep into Thrace’s shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. And yet he pinned it, driving him against the wall, books falling around them.

“Anton is dead.” Milli said, looking to Merrill.

Merrill cursed. “Severus. Time to blow shop. Meet up at the escape hideout. You know what to do.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Play a game.” She smiled, readying her weapons. “Thrace! Plan B!” She shouted.

Thrace let go and retreated. Before the Hand could respond, Merrill was on it, delivering several strikes with her weapon. Thrace scooped up the goddess and leapt out the door. Milli and Severus followed.

“You’re companions abandoned you.” It said its demonic voice.

“I guess they did.” She smiled.

“You’ll die to me.” The creature bellowed, drawing a second dagger. It crouched, taking a stance similar to Merrill’s. A Rogue’s stance.

Merrill’s smile widened. That was what she did when she was in a pinch. She smiled. She crossed her arms, daggers pointed, lowering herself to the ground.

The Hand attacked, driving its two weapons downward aimed at her chest. Merrill leapt backwards, narrowly escaping the attack. The creature looked up with a grin.

[Flash Step] The creature warped to her position, stabbing with its weapons. One dagger drove straight through her arm as she narrowly blocked it, causing her to hiss in pain. She leapt backwards once again, the blade sliding from her wound as she did so, blood splattering on the wooden floor. The pipes around them seemed to groan, as if reacting to her injury.

“Skills? So, you ugly things can use them.” She said, gripping her arm.

“Of course. How do you think we police the Nobles? Make sure they’re kept in line?” It said.

“I’m going to kill the Supreme One so hard.” She laughed.

The creature did not seem amused.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot that he was god. But looks like it’s a trick. A sham. He’s just a little stronger than everyone else, that’s how he controls the Nobles right? By maintaining a slight edge over them, just enough for them to fear him, and fear did the rest.” She taunted, a few pipes bursting, steam hissing out.

About time. Merrill thought. [Decoy] she casted.

“The Supreme One is the Eternal God. He is more powerful than any mere Noble.” The creature said, lifting a dagger towards her. “Certainly, more powerful than some half breed Common. His power can collapse mountains, it can level cities. An army is a mild nuisance to him. And you dare even consider the notion that you could challenge him? Such heresy must be purged.”

“Oh? Should it? But is what you say actually true? Or am I on to something? Could it be it he could actually be killed?” The pipes screeched now, steam filling the room.

“No. He is God.” The creature bellowed with pure conviction, enough to make Merrill cringe.

[Flash Step] The creature was upon her. [Deadly Triangle] It used Merrill’s favorite skill, its blades slicing into her neck, thigh, and chest. Blood exploded from her as she collapsed dead. But her body shimmered away as she fell, fading into the mist.

The Hand would have frowned, if it could. Merrill skittered out of the shop, Flash Stepping across the street as the shop exploded from the pressure build. Glass, books and metal littered the street, a few chunks of metal soaring into the building across the shop, shattering its windows.

Merrill dug herself from the snow, and stumbled away, blood seeping from wound.