As the next work day drew to its close, at least for some, it was time for me to don the new suite of scale mail for the first time. Or rather, it was time for me to don all of my new gear at the same time for the first time. And indeed, as the last titanium scale was affixed the vibration that had me worried yesterday stopped. It was almost eerie. I took a moment to take it all in and as I looked back up everyone was looking at me. I grinned embarrassed. “Time to try it on?”

“Time to put it to the test!” With those words Gash'zur went ahead to help me into the armor. It wasn't a lengthy process exactly but it still took its time. First came the padded gambeson which surprisingly enough was not made from the same fiber as my new dress. I was worried that I would start sweating like crazy in the garment but it wasn't as bad as I feared. Not by far. I shot the Arcanist questioning look.

She must have expected my reaction. “Spider silk. Its not easy to harvest thus we only use it for serious projects. It is enchanted as well to keep ye at a comfortable temperature. Mind, it only works if ye surroundings are not too extreme. It is not made for walks around lava lakes or through the icy wastes of the far north.”

Next up were the greaves and a single bracer for my weapon arm, the single largest pieces of my new set of equipment after my shield. They fit comfortably even if wearing only one bracer felt a little weird at first. I suspected that it would get better and I would feel more balanced once I were to pick up my shield.

Then it was time for good! The giantess helped me slip on the scale mail. It looked heavier than it was, mostly due to it being made from titanium and not steel but it still was heavy enough that I appreciated the help. The belt used to tie it, in a way similar to the dress I had been gifted, served as my weapon belt as well. It had room for my rusty knife, as well as a second new one forged to match the first and some other gear as well. Curiously enough it's outside was covered in titanium scales matching the rest of my armor as well.

Gash'zur explained as she tied it after finishing with all the other ties. “Everything else that is leather, like the ties in the back, are covered by the scales once you are done. At least if you take the time to put it on properly. The belt would have been the only weak point. And since it is tied below the bust instead of at the waist it allows for some more growth. Just in case.”

I blushed furiously as I realized just what kind of growth she was hinting at. I still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea. I wouldn't argue though. I wasn't quite done yet though. I bent down slightly to allow my companion to slip the gorget in place that would protect my neck in addition to providing some more protection to my upper torso as well. Ha, that would show that damn vampire! I almost hoped it would try to bite through that and loose a tooth or two!

This was it. Or rather, this was almost it. I grabbed my shield and glaive as well and for the first time in a while I felt complete again. Still the armor felt a little strange. No, that wasn't the right word. It wasn't strange. It was different. It took me a moment to figure out why. The overlapping and interweaving, leave shaped metal scales offered a little more resistance than the wyvern scales had. The protection they offered was superior but at the same time moving took a little more effort. It wasn't to the degree that it would hamper me but I would need to get used to it. That would take some time. Hopefully not too much though.

I carefully took stock of every little difference as I moved over to the practice dummies once more. The broken ones had been replaced or fixed. Against my new weapon they still wouldn't last long. That wasn't much of an issue though. I wasn't looking to demolish them again after all. I only wanted to figure out all the minute differences in between the old and the new armor. Thus I started out moving through various offensive and defensive patterns first, ignoring the dummies for now. They would receive some of my attention soon enough anyway.

Repetition after repetition I became a little more familiar with the new gear and my movements became more fluid as the others looked on. Before I could turn on the training targets though someone moved to join me in the training area.

It was the master smith and enchanter herself, wielding two swords of all things. “Ye need something more than mere dolls to get used to all the changes fast.” She raised her weapons. “Come at me!”

A murmur of excitement went through the crowd we had already drawn and that crowd kept growing as more and more workers set aside whatever they had been busy with, if their projects permitted it, to join the other spectators. The forge overall grew a lot quieter. The whispers among the crowd grew in number though.

I took a deep breath and blended them out. What mattered now was the challenge that lay ahead of me. Usually swords, wielded alone or in pairs, were a bad match against powerful polearms like mine. Usually I would have had an advantage. Usually I wouldn't have been facing off against a living goddess though.

I decided to go on the offensive. It wasn't an all out offensive though. I brought my shield up as well and ran the shaft of my weapon over its edge, making sure to keep both the glaive's edge and the shield in between me and her for the start. My first attack was a pretty straight forward but lightning quick jab.

She didn't even try to evade. Instead she brought strength to bear one would not have expected from most fighters with a build like hers. Sure, she was as tall as me but she was rather delicate overall. Only when she easily pushed my weapon aside with one blade to lunge at me with the other did I remember to account for the fact that she was essentially made of metal.

I deflected her other blade with the shield and pulled my weapon back. I had to take a step back as well, as my shield rang from the heavy blow, to keep her from getting too close. Ideally I had to keep her at range. I furrowed my brow. No that would be a very conventional approach that probably would not work in my favor against such an unconventional opponent.

Instead of trying again, like before I turned my jab into a feint this time around. She still had to deflect it. Instead of bashing her other blade aside this time though I sidestepped it to bash her with the shield instead. Now that got a rise out of the crowd even though it didn't stagger the Arcanist in the slightest. Before retreating again I smashed the bracer I was wearing on my weapon arm into the arm she seemed to favor.

A mortal enemy made of flesh and blood and maybe even a more conventional forgeborn might have dropped that weapon or staggered back. She wasn't mortal or conventional though. Her arm wasn't even flung as far to the side as I had hoped. Instead of just getting back into position she used the momentum I imparted to whirl around. First one blade clashed into my shield with considerable force. Then the other managed to slip over the shield's edge. Its point came to rest against my gorget.

She nodded and withdrew her weapon. “Let us try again. Start with an attack that is not intended to be used in the line of battle this time.” Then she turned to address the crowd that had gathered. “Move the dummies aside. Get back to work or at least give us some more room.” Then she turned on me again. “And this time, use some of the spells you would usually use.”

I did as she told me, enhancing myself with Cat's Grace and Auroch's strength. As the spectators retreated I went on the attack again. There was nothing careful about it this time around though. I tried to make full use of my increased speed, agility and strength. This time I swung my glaive wide. The attack would leave me open for a counter but I still had my shield. I decided to put some more trust in my new armor as well.

Although I put a lot of power into the attack and although it came lightning fast she didn't budge. She had to block it with both of her weapons this time though. My follow up was not a conventional shield bash this time. Instead I want low and smashed it into the knee of her leading leg, letting my momentum carry me past her as my weapon came around again already.

It filled me with satisfaction to notice the look of surprise on her face, however brief it was. Before I could get too excited though we started exchanging blows in earnest. It reminded me a little of my bouts with Uzzana. And like with my fights with the weapon master I ended up on my back here with a weapon pressed against one vital spot or another time after time as well. I didn't mind though. I was clearly facing a much more experienced fighter here and I actually was closing the gap little by little as I grew more accustomed to the new war gear.

Finally she called a stop though, as I was left breathing hard. “Ye should get some rest. Maybe ye can have a little bout against some of my daughters tomorrow before we get ye ready to be on yer way again. Facing several opponents is something else entirely after all.”

As she spoke I heard another familiar voice, barely a whisper, in the back of my mind. “Maybe she should have a break as well?”

I nodded and after putting my weapon back on its rack I pulled close to the ancient forgeborn, to repeat the Lover's whisper. “What about ye? Maybe ye should take a break as well.”

She scoffed at the notion. “I know neither hunger nor thirst or exhaustion. I need no breaks, no food and no sleep.”

I leaned in a little closer still to whisper in her ear. “Maybe ye need a chance to remind yourself what ye are fighting for though? When was the last time ye were out in the city? When did ye last leave the forge?”

For a moment she was silent, a look of bafflement on her face. Finally she frowned though. “That almost sounded like one of my sisters speaking. It was one of my sisters giving you that idea. Wasn't it?”

I could only shrug. “I happen to agree with her though.”