Chapter 4-110: Blooded (1/2)
Sama was waiting for him to show; he’d told her there’d be no problem at all identifying when he arrived.
They’d actually never met in person. He had picked out the Sword he’d wanted and all the specs at a Smith located nearby him, who had also taken his personal measurements so that she could size it appropriately to his grip, reach, and height.
Still, he was right. That silken white convertible with the blood-red interior did indeed stand out.
She watched him get out of the car in an immaculate white suit, whose wrinkles he promptly straightened out with a Cantrip, and he popped a white top hat with a blood-red band on top of his curly black hair, to match his red tie and kerchief.
Yes, he was definitely a character.
Sama left off her current commission, taking the initiative to grab his Sword and go up to meet him.
He came into the place fearlessly, clearly not expecting any trouble, and glanced around with the fast threat assessment of a pro. She watched him, the white-wrapped hilt of his Blade in its white scabbard, decorated with red crosses, laying on the counter before her.
He glanced at my Brand and nodded. “You must be Sama Rantha. I am The Mick.”
He didn’t have much of a brogue, but it was there underneath the dangerous charm, so he could probably turn it on really thick if he liked to. His eyes were dark and had seen a lot of killing, and his smile had the sincerity of a hunting shark. He was shorter than her, but a little wider in the shoulder, and definitely in the arms and chest. He moved with a controlled grace, as if he was going to take off and fly at any moment, which promised that he’d probably be a very energetic formal dancer. She didn’t know how he’d do with any of the metal moves, but he could certainly feel free to surprise her...
“That would be me. You’re right, you’re hard to miss.” She imagined all that white could vanish like a ghost if he so wanted it to.
“You’ve got what I asked for?” he inquired, his eyes naturally falling to the Katana waiting on the counter in front of her.
“Pay up,” Sama said simply. “Sixteen goldweight, as requested.”
He looked even happier. “And this can be opened to six Slots?” he asked carefully, taking off his hat, and tapping it over the counter.
There were multiple clunks and clatters as eighty craft-coins worth 100 gp each poured out of his hat onto the counter. Sama counted them with a glance, and nodded.
“QL 33. You weren’t paying for adamant, so I went with the heaviest I could. This is a variant of tungsten and osmium alloy, partially Energized to Water affinity.” She pushed the Blade in his direction as she smoothly stacked up the craft-coins, waving to one of the apprentices to take them and stash them elsewhere.
The young dwarf hurried up, scooped them off the counter, and hustled off without batting an eye at carrying nearly two and a half million dollars worth of cc’s. Master Vrune worked in big numbers, too.
Money came, money went. It was how it was.
“Let’s hear the spiel,” he smiled, picking it up, and breaking into a broad grin as he felt the weight of the thing.
She lifted an eyebrow, and obliged. “You’ve got in your hands a Full-temp Heavy Katana in the dai-katana pattern, thirty-three inches of blade, single cutting edge and runneled backer for parrying. Floral rose guard pattern as requested, weighing in at 4.3 kg. You need literally inhuman strength and decent heavyfoot to wield it well, both of which you assured me you have.
“The Full Temper refers to the basic Runes of Blood, Reed, and Stone on the Blade, leaving off the Feather as unnecessary. You’ll need to Blood-bond it to attune yourself to it properly. The Sword has been made to QL 33, a Perfect Weapon, which means it should be an ideal Blade in all respects for its original wielder, you.
“Also as requested, you desired a full Empowerment of two Slots, and you chose Ki-Bound and Blooding from among those I offered you.
“I can sense you’ve some floating ki to use, but you won’t be able to do so until you satisfy the Bond on the Blade. Please draw and do so now.”
He glanced at her, for she hadn’t described the secondary effect, which was, in the end, the reason he’d done business with her. He hadn’t found anyone else who could offer an effect like it.
Still, he pulled on it, and as the very heavy steel whispered out of the scabbard, itself made at 30, his dark eyebrows began to climb.
If Blooding was the first non-standard enhancement to a weapon, it automatically colored the material of the weapon white, and the killing surfaces red. That this milk-and-blood motif, looking so slick and pure, fit so well with his theme, Sama truly found amusing.
He pulled it fully out, holding it in one hand without an issue, his black eyes now bubbling with some crimson in there.
“You looked me up!” he challenged her, affronted and impressed all at once.
“Not at all,” Sama refuted calmly, smiling toothily. “That is the natural appearance of a Blooding blade at its origin. If you had added it later, after something like, oh, Flaming, it would have just looked like normal steel.”
“Well, then, a fine, FINE coincidence it was!” he crowed, snapping up into high guard. He reversed away from her, testing the balance as he shifted smoothly to various stances.
“Blooding is an enhancement primarily designed to foil magical healing from both spells and those intrinsic to creatures. While it won’t interfere with natural, non-magical healing in the slightest, wounds inflicted by a Blooding Weapon will not fast-heal, regenerate, or be healed by magic until the following dawn. Such effects will only stop any bleeding or pain, but won’t actually heal an existing injury.