Temate smiled as a satveak slowly held the rge orange-gold edged weapon out towards Karje. Her tail flicked and twitched with excitement as her hands reached out gently to wrap around the thick, bck scaled leather grips of the haft.

  "Now be careful-" The satveak grunted. "It's very he-" Karje took the weapon and hefted it easily above her head. "-avy..." The satveak squeakily finished as he stepped back.

  Slowly Karje examined the long shaft, her fingers running discerningly along each inch as she shifted it. When she finally reached the bde after trailing her finger over the haft of the weapon, which was nearly half again her height, she sighed and her tail began to wriggle. The orange gold axe head was half her height itself, with the top third of it extending past the end of the handle. The bottom portion of the massive axe head rounded inward and fastened to a second point lower down the shaft.

  Karje purred as she slid her hand into the gap created by the bottom portion of the weapons head, all while still holding this huge thing above herself. She ran her hands over the central portion of the bardiche's bde head, where a bck, patterned material filled the insides of the metal. This made the weapon appear as if a living shadow roiled inside it's head as the light glinted across it.

  "Yeah, I think she likes it Chei." Toni said with a soft giggle. Temate ughed a bit too as he repositioned the sack of his armor he had taken back from Karje. They all ughed a bit louder when Karje's entire body stiffened and she lowered the weapon down.

  "Mmm. It'll do for now. It's infused?" Karje asked the satveak, now standing well away from her.

  "A-aa-h yes! Yes it is! Standard Lifante work mostly. The patination both holds in power to increase weapon density when swung, as you surmised, but also naturally resists externals." The satveak straightened his back and pushed a pair of crystalline gsses up his snout. "For someone of your size and remarkable strength, wonderful [Power]s by the way-" The satveak bowed slightly.

  "Thank you." Karje returned the polite bow as she carefully clutched her new weapon to her chest. Chei had already begun counting out pieces- no silver chips, to the satveak woman at the counter.

  "Yes, of course, as I was saying you could likely wield it rather effectively to defend against power strikes or magics." The satveak said, then held up one finger. "But wait! There's more!"

  "We're already buying it, you don't have to sell us any more~" Chei said behind him and the satveak defted slightly as he rubbed the back of his thick neck.

  "I want to hear." Karje stated, taking a proffered holster for the weapon and attaching it to her back.

  "Ah, yes it's got a [Power] infused which utilizes the increased density, called [Momentous Force]. If you can maintain momentum with your strikes for awhile the edge will begin to glow dimly and if you then end your momentum into an attack bam!" The satveak extended both his hands and gestured, glowing crystalline fragments sprayed out of his hands like an explosion of confetti. They disappeared harmlessly as they cttered against the floor.

  "Bam?" Karje questioned.

  "Ah... It has a vast increase to that impact. Can carve through and break most lesser weapons and metals. Honestly, never thought anyone would buy this thing, we put it up there cause our smith wanted to dispy his finest works." The satveak answered.

  "Who's your smith?~" Chei chirped as she slid her long neck over the clerks shoulder.

  "A-ah, an olifant apprenticed to Wolkata Lifante himself! Kreth Mizzunet!" The satveak stuttered.

  "Reallllyyy?~ Didn't know uncle had an apprentice by that name.~" Chei teased.

  "U-uncle?" The clerk gulped.

  "Yeeeaaaah, you know the Lifante's and Tra Gouda, we go waaaaay back~" Chei continued teasing.

  "Chei, leave the man alone." Temate forced himself not to smile as he said that.

  "Yes Sir!" She said with a firm salute and then slipped over toward him. "Also, with that I think our debt is settled~" She leaned in and whispered into his ear. "And I'll look forward to how you repay my investment~" She whispered to him.

  "Wait, can you do us one more thing?" Temate stopped Chei as she began to slip out the door.

  "Of course I'm gonna show you to Rockin Stohn~" She said with a breathy ugh.

  "No, I need to get my armor fixed up." Temate hefted the sack on his back. "Could you cover that? Karje says she knows someone who should be cheap and quick." Temate turned to look at Karje who strode up next to him. She kept a cool face, but he saw how her tail and one of her hands were always near to the bde.

  "Yes. Good work too." Karje said with a nod.

  "Network contact?~" Chei asked. Karje nodded. "And you're sure they can be trusted? Pretty sure the Network will want you dead the moment you resurface.~" Chei pointed out.

  "They already know." Karje said with a shrug. "Or if they don't they'll find out quick. I don't intend to hide."

  "Hmmm, I can admire that. If it's a Network agent though-"

  "Not an agent, just someone I met working with them." Karje corrected.

  "Ah~" Chei smirked and took a slight bow gesturing to the door. "Then lead the way Karje~!" She said.

  Karje didn't hesitate or question Chei further, not that Temate could think of what questions they might have. Instead Karje moved straight through the door and began a slow, steady walk through the city. It was remarkable watching her weave through the crowd, like a predator would prowl through a jungles green underbrush or branches. Yet she wove through peoples of all shapes and sizes.

  In Temate's case, he just let his power leak out and his [Towering Presence] amplify his naturally intimidating visage. With that, the crowds parted for him like Moses parting the Red Sea. It felt so weirdly natural, as had using most of his [Power]s of te. Partially it was just practice he knew, Mua had him using any of his [Power]s he could, as often and as long as he could. Even when not at training. It was exhausting really.

  At least at first. Much like getting back into running, or any other form of excercise, the longer he did it, the easier and longer he could do it. Plus he'd expanded some of his [Power]s naturally through training, which had caught Mua off guard.

  "You and Toni both seem to progress remarkably fast in general and I can't pce why. It's likely to do with your... unique Powers that aren't quite [Power]s." Mua had mumbled during one lunch break.

  "It could also be our origin." Temate replied. "Something to do with the way our bodies are adapted to a world without power like yours, so our bodies suck it up like sponges?" Temate posited.

  "Maybe, but that's more of a discussion for Voel I think." Mua had finished the conversation with that comment, pushing Temate back onto the field to continue practicing.

  Temate stared up in awe as they approached the massive, yawning cavern entrance to Undermount. There they'd find Karje's contact, the Rockin Stohn and their contact, and the main path down to Undertown. This entrance already was awesome to Temate, in the truest sense of the word. Towering nearly twice the height of any nearby structure, the entire cavern space was bricked over with a seamless, thick stone wall. A massive circur gap was set into the walls center and around the edge several sharp triangur edges of bck metal could be seen inset into the frame of the gate.

  "Remarkable." Temate hissed.

  "You should see it close." Karje and Chei commented together, in two very different tones. They looked at each other, Chei with a ugh and smile, and Karje with a gre that could kill. Then she turned back forward as she led them onward.

  "The gate spirals in, each point covering a quarter of the space giving it several yers of pure Lifante Iron. Best anti-power metal there is, and tough as hells." Karje pointed to each of the eight points Temate had seen.

  "Mmm, and the walls themselves are infused and have an internal yer of Lifante Iron to protect against damage, while allowing certain weapons and tools to pierce through and harm what's on the other side.~" Chei added. "My father's work, some of his best." Chei said with a smile.

  Karje nodded. "Much better than the old normal walls and gate that used to be in the two entrances."

  "Why so much defense here?" Toni asked.

  "In case there's a breach from the Darknds, or from either side of the city. That way-" Karje began.

  "Ooooh, that way you have multiple defensive chokepoints. Clever." Toni finished. Karje nodded.

  "So your contact, where are they?" Temate asked ushering everyone forward through the gate. Two guards in what appeared to be copper half-pte eyed them, hands on bucklers. Temate smiled and waved as he lowered his [Towering Presence]. "Sorry about that!" He said as they immediately rexed.

  One guard raised a small medallion from his neck toward Temate, a gesture which Temate didn't understand. And which he'd ask about ter when they'd done their business. He followed Karje, who was answering his question by simply moving onward. Yet he stumbled once more as they entered the interior of the mountain.

  A vast tunnel, some hundreds of feet wide, extended beyond a bend much further ahead of them. Bright glowing crystals which lit the space were set into the walls everywhere, like a massive crystalline mine shaft. Then there was the street. A thoroughfare of people, just as thick out here as there were outside, was flitting between structures erected to either side of the tunnel. Some were up multiple levels, hanging from the sides or ceiling of the cavern.

  Squat, dark skinned figures shouted for passersby to check out wares and get work done. He'd met some of these duergar before, they worked everywhere but they seemed particurly prevalent here. Most notably were the gaunt, pale humanoids who moved about in small groups, adorned in their own copper guards uniforms.

  "Darklings." Toni hissed as she reached to her hip holster.

  "Hey!" Karje snapped. "Don't call them that, they're no more responsible for their murderous tribal retives then you humans."

  "W-what?" Toni was confused.

  "I think she just called you racist." Temate said.

  "I don't know what that means." Karje replied. "What I'm saying is these are morlock, that's their species name. Calling them darklings is like if I called all humans savages."

  "Oh..." Toni grimaced and loosened her posture, but kept one hand on her gun.

  "Just. Come on, don't start a fight with the Undermount guard." Karje muttered and headed off once more.

  They followed Karje for what felt like an hour. Deep in the main tunnel they travelled up a set of stairs carved into the stone wall, and then down a smaller, darker side tunnel. Finally they arrived at a small cavern with a pond sat firmly in its center. Moss, fungus, and several other cavernous pnts Temate didn't recognize, grew around the pond like a garden.

  "It's Karje, you in?" Karje asked the garden. Temate saw Toni flick her eyes upward as her hand, still on her gun, drew and aimed. Temate followed her eyes and saw.

  "Oooh, naughty naughty miss. I won't biiiite, promise." A giant spider, easily twice the size of the one in Bearbhaile. The one which the armor he carried was made of, sat on the ceiling. Slowly it began lowering itself down upon a surprisingly thin thread and tilted it's soft, brown bck head at Toni almost like a dogs. "Unlesssss you want me tooo?" The spider said.

  "We're here for your services." Karje said, holding a hand out to lower Toni's gun.

  "Yesssss, that much I assumed, risky risky Karjesect. The Network is looking for you, you know?" The spider said.

  "I know Belosh. But you'd never betray a regur." Karje gestured towards Temate as she stepped to the side so Belosh could nd before them. "Especially not when they're bringing you new clients."

  Belosh nded softly and scuttled slowly up towards Temate. It made every attempt, by what Temate could tell from a giant almost wolf-spider's body nguage, to appear small and friendly. It raised one of the palps around it's maw in a gesture like a wave and Temate, feeling a little silly returned it. He could almost feel Belosh smile as it's eight rge eyes brightened.

  "Hello new sects, what may I call you?" Belosh asked, tilting it's head once more. "And how may I assist! I do love helping!"

  "I am Mate, this is Toni and this-" Temate gestured to himself and Toni then toward Chei.

  "I am Chei Merina Tra Gouda, and it is a pleasure to make your acquintance Belosh." Chei said with a deep bow.

  "Ooooh, that's a long moniker miss Cheisect! Matsect, Tonsect, pleasure and your works?" Belosh looked pointedly at the sack Temate carried.

  "Yes, I have armor here, unfortunately made from a spiders chitin... I hope that's not-"

  "I am not it, so it does not matter to me." Belosh said, waving it's palp for Temate to continue.

  "Good, well the bindings and straps that hold it together are damaged, we'd like them repaired or repced whichever's easiest." Temate held the sack out toward Belosh who reached their palp out and, to Temate's surprise, lifted it away.

  With incredible speed Belosh held the sack between his two palps and began spinning it. In moments the sack unraveled into fibers and threads until the gleaming white, chitinous melr was revealed. It continued spinning the melr, though at a much slower pace. Belosh's eyes each scoured the surface as it made soft whistling and chittering noises. Temate reached out and put a hand on Toni as she shivered next to him.

  "Yes, very easy! In fact I fix lining too, lining has lots of water damage, and also bad silk. Too much smoke, bad harvesting method. Should tell whoever harvested not to burn nests, trade honey!" Belosh chittered and darted into the small garden.

  "Trade honey?" Temate and Toni both asked at once.

  "Yes yes!" Belosh called back. "All big ones who make this good thread like honey! Makes meals tastier!"

  "That has to be a coincidence." Toni said.

  "I mean... Maybe not." Temate ughed slightly. Temate turned to look at Karje. "How long does this usually take, and what's the cost you th-"

  "Done!" Belosh flitted back out like it was blown in on a wind. It held up the melr armor. Where once silk and pnt fiber mesh had lined the insides and formed straps there was now a creamy white fiber. Small brass csps had been fitted in pce of the damaged bone ones before, and the whole thing looked clean and connected. It even sparkled slightly as if freshly shined. "Very easy work! Had everything I need, now is for you Matsect!"

  Before Temate could stop it Belosh pced the armor around his body and easily, dexterously clipped and strapped it onto him. Temate wasn't even able to process the motions it made as it did so, nor did he really even feel the weight of the armor once it was on.

  "Oh. Oh it's so... light?" Temate commented.

  "Yes yes! Not my work, good craft work on chitin. I make quick silkshroomweaving underyer to help cushion and keep cool!" Belosh said, rubbing it's palps together before gesturing to the brass csps with his palp as well. "Leftover from st work, just right size! Good Lifante work, so resist wear and decay!"

  "Really? I don't know- how much will this cost?" Temate asked.

  "Mmmm, 10!" Belosh said then tapped its chelicerae with its palp. "No 9, csps leftovers, no other use. Gd they work!"

  "9 what?~" Chei asked.

  "Meals, did Karje not say?" Belosh tilted it's head.

  "No. She didn't, Karje?" Toni turned to look at Karje who nodded.

  "Mmm, 9 is easy, I can pay that." Karje stuck out her arm. Slowly Belosh shifted and pressed a fang into her arm.

  "Woah woah!" Temate said and Belosh shirked back. "Expin Karje."

  Karje grunted. "Belosh feeds on power. We could get it 9 cattle, or the equivalent power. That's what makes it so valuable a contact."

  "I'll do it~!" Chei chirped happily and extended her arm.

  "Chei I-"

  "I said I'd pay, plus I'm far more than capable of that amount. You probably drained 20 cattles worth from me st night and you saw I still had plenty of energy left!~" Chei gestured towards Belosh. "Besides, you're a sweetheart, and I'd like to talk some more once I'm done showing them around, take 10 you deserve it!"

  Belosh looked carefully to Mate who acceded with a nod of his head. Belosh skittered forward slowly before pressing it's fang into Chei's arm. Chei's moan caught everyone except Temate off guard, of course she'd like this. Temate just shook his head and practiced moving in the new melr armor.

  Carefully he unsheathed the rge, stony bde he'd taken from Karje just the other night and practiced swinging it. The dark, simple bde thrummed with each motion and seemed practically alive with power. His [Magic Eye] told him it was no ordinary bde, but so much power was buried, dormant within. He really should ask her about it.

  "That's not how you use a sword like that." Karje stated.

  "Really? Well why don't you show me how to use it then, I've never been trained in anything this big." Temate replied.

  Karje nodded. "We've got a minute, Belosh takes it's time so it doesn't drain too much or cause damage. Here, let me show you Sir."

  The two stepped off to the side and for several minutes, while Toni and Beithe watched Belosh to make sure nothing bad happened, Karje gave Temate a crash course on using a heavy weapon.