I stood and stretched my back, grateful to be done with the long planning meeting.

It's not that I didn't enjoy the meetings—I liked seeing how our faction was growing. It was satisfying how far we'd come from our humble beginnings when it was just Mischief and myself.

The council funneled out of the armory into the warm summer air. After being in the stuffy room for hours it felt amazing to be out in the open again. The council dispersed to their different tasks. I figured I'd get to exchanging all my unused junk items.

A hand slapped me on the back from behind.

"Ready for the next raids?" Alex's hand was more like a baseball glove at his size. Once he hit seven feet or so he finally stopped growing.

The truth was I wasn't exactly ready for the next raids. As much as I hated to admit it, ever since the soccer mom did whatever it was she did to me during the fight with the Cyclops I twitched every time I used a spell. I knew it was irrational.

There'd been warning signs before the curse latched on. Reasonably I knew if I was cursed again I would feel those warning signs first. I still felt gun shy. But I wasn't about to tell that to Alex.

"You better hope that I am, otherwise you'd actually have to use your brain in a fight without my shields."

Alex laughed. "That's all about to change. With the new hands helping Damon pretty soon I'll be suited up just like Durkil."

He was right. Damon had really leveled up. He had even hit his class evolution. Foreman of the forge. It was a well-balanced class that boosted both the quality of his work and the power of his smiths.

Overall a great improvement for the whole faction. Damon was confident that in a few months, everyone who wanted a set of armor could have it.

Thinking about armor reminded me—there was something I'd been meaning to ask Damon, maybe Alex would know.

"Have you noticed much difference between crude and common grade weapons?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You don't know?"

"No, not really. They look pretty much the same to me."

A group of Guildian's nodded at us politely as we passed them on the cobbled road to my cabin.

"Yeah they don't really look that different but it was to do with quality. Better weapons hold up under higher stats."

That makes sense to me now that I think of it.

"Ok yeah that tracks. A crude sword wouldn't last in a fight where someone's swinging it with over 100 Strength."

It was what I figured, but still good to hear it confirmed. Speaking of weapons, it had been a minute since I checked in on Tranquility.

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"Hey, when was the last time you checked on your spirit weapons growth?"

He stopped and stared at me. "Uhh, like an hour ago? Are you serious? You?"

Alex was looking at me like I had a third eye. It's not like I forgot about my spirit weapon, it's just I felt like I was always distracted with other things.

"It's been a while. I'll check it out once we get to my place."

It was getting late, and the shard powered street lamps were already casting shadows across the pathway. The craftsmanship for the lamps was simple but effective. Just a pole with a triangle beam holding up a small glowing metal ball.

The ball was infused by a shard that enchanted the metal to glow when it grew dark.

"Have you given your sword a name yet?" I still remembered the morning I had named Tranquility. We didn't even have a faction back then.

Two months had changed all of that. Homes had mana powered water, light and we were working on getting glass for windows. Right now it was all open air homes. The town felt like something out of a fairy tale.

Even the refugee camp felt scenic in spite of it all. Intermittent fires dotted between the tall pines and shrubs.

"Goldie."

I snorted. "You named your sword 'Goldie'?"

He shoved me off the path playfully. I shove him back causing him to stumble. "Yes, I named my sword Goldie. It's a good name. My sword is gold."

"It doesn't really strike fear now does it?" I tested it out. "Epic boss battle, you–covered in armor and blood from your fallen enemies. You draw your sword the enemy cowers before your might. And before you strike them down you say 'prepare to feel the bite of–Goldie'"

Alex's face scrunched up in thought. "Seems fine to me. Besides, it seems like it's worse for the other guy than me. He is the one being killed by a sword named Goldie."

"Fair enough." I chuckled. "So what are your sword's perks anyway?"

Spirit weapons took on the unique traits of the owner. Alex's class was Warlord. His skills revolved around battle momentum, gaining strength and durability with each kill. It fit well with large scale conflicts but was less impactful in a one on one fight since he couldn't build momentum.

"Oh man, you're going to love this." He smiled deviously. "It stores my battle momentum like a bank so I can use it later."

My went slack. "Alex, that is kind of terrifying. How much can it hold?"

He shrugs beaming proudly. "Nothing insane yet but it keeps improving as I level. I'm pretty happy with it."

And he should be. The biggest weakness to his class is when he fights one on one. His weapon has the potential to take that weakness away completely.

"Seriously, so awesome." It feels good to have people like Alex in the faction. LM was getting stronger, which meant it was getting safer.

We arrived at my cabin. I jogged inside and then headed down the stone steps into the cool storage room.

The walls were made of the same stone as the steps and wooden shelves filled with bags and a few chest's lined the walls.

There was little here that I cared to keep. Most of it I couldn't even use.

I reached into one of the chests. It was full of crude pieces of armor and a variety of weapons. Remnants of past fights. There was no point to keep any of this, and the money collected would be put to good use helping the relief fund.

My mind made up. I was about to take my hand out of the chest but then I saw something.

The locket I'd found in the first raid. I pulled the locket free and held it in my hand.

The fight felt like it had happened so long ago. But it had been less than two months. There was something about it that felt comforting, it was hard to explain.

It wasn't easy but I untied the leather string and wrapped it around my neck then re-tied it. The locket hung just below my collar bones.

The metal felt strangely warm.

With one last look at the room, I rapped my finger on the wood before I turned and headed back upstairs and outside. It was too much to carry. I'd simply tell Jared that it was all free to take and he would have someone come and get it.

Alex waited for me outside. He lounged on one of the wood benches near the fire pit.

"Where's the stuff?"

"I'm just going to have Jared come take it all." I shrugged. "Do you want to go over stats?"

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