[Name: ??? (Lost to time), Nora (Former)
Condition: Battered (Dire Need of Repair)
Rarity: Common Sword (8 ATK)
Skill(s): Contact-Based Telepathy (Cooldown Active – 19 minutes remaining)
Quest 1: Bind yourself to an owner
-->Status: Pending
-->Reward: Random Skill
Quest 2: Recover from 'Battered' condition
-->Status: Incomplete
-->Reward: Name]
[A 'battered' bastard sword, useful for it's ability to be wielded with both hand or just one. There appears to be more to this weapon than meets the eye]
Nora looked through her status again, scrutinising every detail. Despite being picked up by the man and used to kill the wendigo, the 'Quest 1' was still incomplete, so the conditions are more vague than she had originally allowed herself to believe...
She had thought that 'owner' meant that he would just have to use her in place of his current weapon, but despite the man not even bothering to look for his old sword, he apparently had no interest in claiming her. It made sense, Nora supposed, after all despite being a metal bastard sword she only had attack power equivalent to a wooden dagger.
'So why is he holding on too me?' She thought, her hypothetical head spinning. Maybe as a keepsake of some kind, something to tell his friends about? 'Behold, the fearsome wendigo slasher!' She could imagine him saying something like that with one foot on a table and his hand high as he held her for all to see.
Actually, the man hadn't said anything yet, like at all. Nora guessed it would be a bit weird if he was just talking to himself in the middle of nowhere, but still, she was having difficulty keeping the mood happy and bright when our mysterious hooded figure was brooding all of the time.
After a while, the thick rows of trees begun disappearing until the scenery was replaced with a soft green meadow, deep in the distance Nora saw an unfamiliar town. If she didn't remember it then it had nothing to do with the main plot of the game.
'Still much better though,' Nora thought. 'No more wendigos over there.'
The hooded man carried her at his side, his gait steady though his body screamed otherwise. The rips in his cloak, the sluggish drag of his steps, and the dark stains trailing from his arm told her plenty. They were lucky to have been so close to this town, otherwise it was likely that Nora would of been forgotten in that forest with nothing but the hooded man's corpse to keep her company.
When the man was just thirty meters from the gate, several guards rushed out to meet the two of them, their voices laced with concern.
"Sir Vergon!" One of them yelled, spittle flying from his bearded face. "What in god's name are you doing out there alone?"
In response to the three guards concern the mysterious man, who we now know to be called 'Vergon', merely pushed the wendigo horn into one of their hands. "For the lady, grind it up and feed it to her."
After successfully confirming that his package had been delivered, Vergon collapsed. Nora couldn't help but nod her metaphorical head, this guy was a bit of a drama queen, there was no way he was that injured from the small scuffle that he had collapsed. Maybe she had overestimated the general might of humans in this world, apparently they were just as fragile as earth.
The guards scrambled into action the moment Vergon hit the dirt, their faces twisting with alarm. Two of them hooked their arms beneath his shoulders, lifting him as though he were a wounded prince rather than a man who smelled faintly of blood, sweat, and swamp muck. Nora swore she even saw one of the guards mutter a quick prayer under his breath, like they were terrified Vergon might keel over then and there.
'Wow,' Nora thought, feeling her chipped blade-body jostle against the man's thigh as they carried him. 'Talk about service... Wait, did they call this guy 'Sir'? Is he secretly a bigshot?"
The third guard, the one with the wendigo horn, didn't waste a second. His boots tore up chunks of grass as he bolted ahead, cradling the grisly trophy like it was an infant. Without hesitation, he made a beeline for the largest structure in town: a timber-framed hall with banners fluttering in the fading light, its roof steeper and sturdier than any of the cottages around it.
Even from her swinging vantage point at Vergon's hip, Nora could tell that building wasn't just a house. The stone foundation, polished door handles, and armoured guards posted out front all screamed importance.
'Let me think,' she mused. 'Mayor's house? Noble's estate? Or maybe some fantasy version of a town hall? Either way, I can imagine it's where 'the lady' currently is.'
She must of been important for the people of the town to use the wendigo horn on her. There were two horns, so only two people can get the sought after 'Lesser Regeneration' skill. The usual case would be for it to belong to Vergon and maybe his successor, so it was pretty weird for him to hand over the coveted skill to someone else.
As Vergon was hurried into the church and taken to an old priest for what Nora imagined to be first aid, the sword unclipped from his waist and gently leant against the wall. They were showing her a lot of care, despite her chipped and damaged state, most people would of considered her as a weapon beyond saving and dismissed... So she was glad that they are at least handling her well.
'Sir, hmm?" Nora pondered deep in thought, "And 'Sir Vergon' told them to take the antlers to the 'Lady'... does that make him some kind of knight?"
But she quickly dismissed the notion, if he was a knight he'd be far better equipped than leather armour, and his skill and strength would be more than enough to deal with the wendigo. Now that she had gotten a better look at him, he seemed to be in his late thirty's, so he was too young to have retired already.
Maybe he's some kind of adventurer? But an adventurer wouldn't be able to command the same respect the guards showed him earlier...
Nora was snapped out of concentration by the door flinging open, and in came a young boy with the same messy auburn locks that Vergon had, his eyes which were wide with worry were framed by a pair of round spectacles. Nora had thought it strange for glasses to be around in supposedly the medieval period, but she didn't actually know when glasses had been invented, so it was difficult to call out the game-devs on it.
The young boy immediately rushed to Vergon's side. His voice hoarse, "Dad! Dad, what were you thinking!?"
Putting on a smile he obviously didn't feel, Vergon forced out a laugh, "Romeo! My son, don't worry about your old man, something like this can't do me in!"
Nora didn't buy it. She had profiled Vergon to be the serious and cold type, especially with how he had been handling his wounds when talking with the priest. The swordsman had been dismissive and almost rude too the various people helping him, and yet now he was the warm and strong father? He was definitely putting on an exaggerated show to hide true condition.
'Romeo' seemed to come to the same conclusion, as his teeth gritted in frustration. "You're not a knight anymore, dad, you should of waited for the adventurers to bring back the totem."
Vergon's smile flickered, a strain pulling at the corners of his mouth as though it cost him more than the blood he'd lost. He eased back against the priest's cot, exhaling through his nose before answering in that same low, gravelly tone he'd used with the guards.
"I may no longer wear their colours, Romeo, but I swore my oath before God and steel. I will always be a knight. Curse or not, title or not - my word does not break."
The boy's shoulders tensed, his spectacles slipping down the bridge of his nose as his jaw clenched. "You'll get yourself killed clinging to that oath! You're not the same as you once were. Lord Rothslaw already retired you, why can't you just stop this!"
Vergon shook his head, "That's enough, Romeo, we'll talk later. Return home... I'll follow you shortly."
Romeo opened his mouth like he wanted to argue more, but then stopped himself, just before he turned to go Vergon called after him.
"One more thing, Son." Started the former knight, "I found an old sword during my scuffle, It's damaged but still useable, I think you'll find it too be better than your current practice weapon."
'Oh,' Thought Nora, 'So that's why he didn't throw me away... I'm a gift to his son."
Her status window blinked dimly in her mind's eye, almost mocking her:
[Quest 1: Bind yourself to an owner → Status: Pending]
'Yes,' She retorted, 'He's giving me away, but not because I'm useless or anything."