Soulforged Chapter 1

8/10/2019 Soulforged Chapter 1

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Ben could feel his muscles straining as he continued to pump the bellows toheat the forge for his master. Even after three years, his muscles were still

developing for the wearying work. But Mathias was paying Ben and was also passingalong his trade. Neither of which Ben could have dared hoped for a few years prior.

And that was just the surface of Bens new life. Mathias wife, !haron, seemedinterested in getting Ben groomed for Married life. Especially since "no young man of

at least twenty years should be unwed" as she constantly reminded him. Even #alewas in the market for marriage, though she was a few years older than most eligiblemen were looking for, being almost twenty years old herself.

Mathias, of course, refused to let up on Bens workload especially with the city

suddenly working on the e$pansion. %hey had more than enough need for metalparts of some sort or another. And then there were the occasional re&uests by people

who couldnt tell a blacksmith from a swordsmith. Mathias still took the work. %a$eshad been raised again and Mathias had instilled into Ben the idea that forge work

was forge work, it didnt matter if they were making swords, hinges, brackets, oranything else they were asked for.

Mathias hammer rang while Ben continued heating the forge with thebellows. %he large man was focused solely on his work for the moment. Ben however

was free to think while making sure he didnt get the fire too hot. Melted iron did

them no good. 'inally the fires got to temperature and Ben joined his master, pickingup a hammer and a rod that would be made into a stand for a large stew pot. (t hadto be tall enough to stand over a fire, especially since theyd been told there was

nothing to hang the pot on instead in the hearth.Ben worked carefully. Mathias didnt approve of shoddy results. )e wanted

people to keep coming back, and what was fast was rarely &uality.%ime passed &uickly while master and apprentice worked side by side. Ben

knew what he could reliably craft and so left the other projects for Mathias to handle.Eventually, however, the sun dipped almost completely below the hori*on and Ben

&uickly took the cue from his master that they were done for the day. +utting downhis hammer Ben stretched his sore arms and Mathias looked over Bens current

project.

"#etting better, boy," the blacksmith said. "A few more years and youll makea decent journeyman." Ben smiled and took the praise. )ed heard it before, but at

least it meant that he was learning well. "Alright, come on. ( think ( can smell thebread !haron made."

!till smiling, Ben walked beside his master over to the house. )e wasnt sureif the man could really smell that well, but it was clear to Ben and his stomach that

the meal was going to be ready when they stepped inside.

#ale met them at the door and hugged her brother, not caring that he wasstill covered in the grime of the work day. !haron was standing in the doorway to the

kitchen, making a sound of disgust when #ale turned back to her. ")ave ( not toldabout that" !he berated #ale. Bens sister hung her head, but he could see a smile

on her lips. "#o on... wash up." !haron gave the order.#ale retreated up the stairs to the washroom and Mathias grabbed a large rag

he and Ben always used to wipe off at the end of the day. -hen !haron was satisfiedwith his cleanliness, she stepped forward and kissed her husband on the cheek,

making her usual in&uiry about his day.Ben wiped off his face and arms just as #ale came down the stairs. "!o how

was your day" )e asked."( went out to buy the vegetables for the meal," #ale replied. "(... heard it

again." Ben blinked. )e knew what his sister was talking about."( thought you said youd been imagining it last month"

"( know. But now with this last time its just like three years ago.



/emember then" #ale asked, a look in her eyes Ben didnt &uite recogni*e. (t lookedalmost like a child whod found something new and ama*ing, but not &uite.

"#ale, that voice isnt there. (ve walked past the temple hundreds of timesover the past few years and ( havent heard anything like what you described." And

he hadnt. #ale had said it was a female voice calling for her. Beckoning her to gocloser. %he only reason the temple still stood was that people believed it would bring

the wrath of the goddess 0ede to destroy it entirely.And so the citys ruler, %obias, had left it alone. 1r that was the rumor at

least. Ben didnt know for certain and he didnt want to go against a man who

claimed to be the avatar of an old god. -hether he was cra*y or not, %obias had

killed a powerful champion of the gods. Everyone knew that story. And as such, noone dared oppose him.

#ale just made a sound identical to the one !haron had made after seeing#ales dirtied face and dress. ")onestly Ben, ( would have thought youd believe me

at least. (m not cra*y. 2ou know what happens to those who are insane." Benstiffened. %he insane were often imprisoned and were never heard from again. (f

people got the idea that #ale was hearing voices that werent there... theyd take heraway and everything Ben had done to ensure a life for her would be undone.

"2oure not insane. +erhaps youre just hearing it somewhere and think its

coming from the temple." Ben said carefully, trying to think of a logical e$planation."-hatever you do dont"

"go near the temple. ( know," #ale interrupted and finished. "(f any guards

see me, it could cause trouble." Ben sighed and embraced his sister. !he could reallyworry him at times, especially when this topic arose.

%he meal passed mostly in silence. %he only conversation was household talkthat Ben and #ale needed to eventually learn how to handle. %a$es, savings, income,

children, and e$penses were all things both of them needed to learn about as wase$pected of them.

Ben went to sleep that night and found it hard to attain as thoughts of whathis sister had mentioned before dinner and the implications of it haunted his mind.

)e didnt even remember falling asleep.

But he did remember being woken up by Mathias who was irritated that Benhad overslept his morning chores. After a tongue lashing, Ben moved &uickly to

finish the tasks he did every morning, such as bringing in water, heating up theforge, shoveling coal, and other various duties. Mathias didnt show up to the forge

when Ben was finished like he normally did, which Ben took to mean that the manhad gone to meet with somebody.

Mathias still hadnt returned by midday when the bell rang at the front of the

store. +ausing mid swing, Ben &uenched the metal and went to answer as the bellrange again.

%he tall man who stood waiting was studying the bell as if it were the mostinteresting thing in the world. )e rang it again before Ben could get there and

ignored Bens statement of "(m coming, hold on" and rang it once more, though Bencaught his hand before the bell could make much noise.

"3an ( help you, sir" Ben asked, looking the man over. %he man was blonde,which was strange for the region not counting Ben and #ales own blonde hair

which had been inherited from their mother and his eyes were a sapphire blue thatseemed to sparkle in wonder.

"( wonder if you could," was the response. Ben blinked in surprise. )e didntget that every day.

"-ell... what is it you need" Ben asked, thinking his response over carefully.%he man smiled and turned his head to the side for a moment and nodded after a

moment.



"(ve been asked to deliver a package to someone. But not just anyone, and itcan only go to that person." Ben was silent again. %he mans voice struck him as

someone who wasnt entirely there mentally. And his answer made as much sense asthe feeling Ben was getting from him.

"1kay... do you know who youre looking for" %he man gave Ben a smile thatsent chills down his spine.

"Not at all. (m just the messenger." %he mans smile continued as he lookedover Ben in the same way that Ben had originally. "( wonder if you could be the one (was told to deliver this too," he said, lifting a leatherwrapped package that had until

them been unseen, despite Bens very clear view of the mans hands. "%ouch this."

%he instruction was simple and yet every fiber of Bens being told him that heshouldnt that doing so would be a very bad idea for him. 2et he reached out a hand

and barely touched the parcel.And instantly felt his entire left arm go ice cold.

4etting out a yelp, Ben stared in shock at the man and jerked back his arm.%he mans smile turned into a grin, one that unnerved Ben even more. "2ou are the

recipient," the man said, setting the package on the counter. "1pen it whenever. (must be off." )e turned and started to walk away.

"-ho are you" Ben asked to the mans back while he waited for his arm to

regain the proper feeling. %he man stopped turned his head to the side and nodded."(m Morgan, chosen of )anan."A chill unlike any of the others went along Bens spine. )anan, goddess of

compassion and mercy, was a sworn enemy of %obias supposed master. And Ben had just been approached by someone who claimed to have been chosen by her. (f word

got out... Ben would be more than imprisoned. (f he wasnt outright killed, hed likelybe tortured.

Ben didnt even touch the leatherbound bundle. )e didnt want anything todo with it. )ed worked hard enough to build his current life and his every bit of

reason told him that having anything to do with whatever was inside the leather wasbad news for that life. (nstead he stared at it as if it were a snake curled to strike at

him.

!econds passed into minutes and finally Ben grabbed it, putting it under thecounter. %he entire bundle was deceptively light and it felt as if he were lifting a

feather pillow. (t went against his better judgment to keep it, but Ben didnt want torisk one of the guards seeing it, just in case it could get him into trouble. %he

soulforged guards of the city punished those they even suspected of somethingillegal or suspicious.

Ben then returned to his work, his arm &uickly regaining the feeling once he

got to moving it. And when Mathias returned to the smithy, Ben had all but forgottenabout his encounter with the strange man and the bundle still sitting underneath the

counter. )is master checked over Bens progress and nodded.%he rest of the day passed as normal, though Bens thoughts wouldnt stop

going back to Morgan and the package hed been handed. )e noticed a few glancesfrom #ale as he ate in silence, not really paying attention to the conversation at the

table. )e just wanted to wake up and think of today as one strange dream.#ale managed to corner him after dinner, despite his efforts to the contrary.

"!omethings wrong, isnt it" !he asked in &uiet tones."No..." Ben told her. "Everythings fine. 5ust a long day." #ale just studied him

in silence, though she did move to block his escape attempt."( know you, brother. 2ou brood whenever something worries you."

"( told you, (m fine, just tired. 4ot of work orders lately." #ale blockedanother attempt of his to move around her. !he looked like she was about to speak

and then decided against it and let him pass.



Ben didnt want to worry his sister and he certainly didnt want to put her indanger. And this whole issue just reeked of danger. !o he readied for and got into

bed, managing to fall asleep after not very long despite his an$iety.He was watching the flames of houses in the outskirts of the city burning.

There were shouts all around him and cries of pain and despair. He looked around,wide-eyed at the panic around him. He looked back and his sister was lying oblivious

in her crib. Arms suddenly grabbed him and he was pulled aside to face his mother who

looked dirty and disheveled. "Emael," his mother said hurriedly, using the name she

often called him by. "Emael, get your sister and get out. ind safety. !eep her safe,

protect her, Emael. ike a brother should." He looked at his mother in confusion.#ure there was panic, but what was wrong$ "Emael, get your sister and go% &ow%"

He didn't stall any longer and hurried into the other room to grab his year old sister. He had barely turned three some time ago and so the process of carrying the

little baby girl was difficult.He ran out of the back of the house and towards the city itself. He bounced

the girl a little too hard in his hurry and she instantly started to cry. (hat was hername$ He wanted to calm her, but beyond gentle shushing noises when he slowed

down to care for her, he couldn't think of the name given to her. He knew his mother

would often call her Eirwyn, saying that it was her nickname. )ut that wasn't it. *twas like Emael. His mother had e+plained that the names were of her homeland. And her homeland wasn't well liked.

The names, she had said, would only mean something to her own people. )ut he couldn't use his sister's nickname. He opened his mouth and whispered the first

name that came to mind."ale," he said over his sister, holding her close to him. "#hhh, ale." He

uietly urged the girl. #he kept crying. (hy didn't she understand him$ A shadow of a figure on horseback cause )en to start. *t reminded him that

he needed to run. He needed to get inside the city wall. His parents had always toldhim that if danger happened the city was safe. He even knew of a spot where he'd

sometimes snuck into the city and avoided the city guards at the gate after they'd

taken him back home the first time he tried to get past them.

Ben awoke the ne$t morning to the sounds and smells of breakfast beingcooked. %he dream made from his memories was replaying itself in his mind. )ow

long had it been since he had really thought about it )ow long since he had heardhis mother call him Emael, even in his dreams )e grudgingly rolled out of bed and

passed by his sister. !he didnt say anything as he walked by her, but he did pause to

grumble a "Morning, Eirwyn."%he sudden use of her old name gave him a moment of pause. "!orry, #ale,"

)e muttered before he went to start his morning chores. #ale stopped him bygrabbing his hand.

"( recogni*e that name, Ben. -hats going on" !he asked. "2ou werebrooding, and ( could hear you having what sounded like a nightmare most of the

night. -hat happened" Ben didnt look at her for a minute and then he sighed."(t... was just a dream. 1f when we started living in the city. Nothing to worry

about. 2esterday was just busy and ( just had the memory of back then in a dream.")e said, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

"And that name" #ale asked. Ben was silent again. )ed never told his sisterof their mother or their other names.

But he guessed hed have to tell her eventually in case their blonde hair andthe hint of their mothers olive skin in their own coloring ever became more of an

issue. !o far it hadnt, but that was because hardly anybody had seen one of his



mothers people since the war in which %obias con&uered the city and thesurrounding area.

Ben opened his mouth and closed it before shaking his head clear. #aledeserved to know and hed hidden it too long. "Mother was a foreigner, a !arien. !he

had different names for us that suited her people. Mine was Emael and yours wasEirwyn." #ale was still and finally she nodded, swallowing. "As you know, its best

that people dont find out. %he !aris Empire isnt well liked, even when they dontventure out of their lands very often anymore."

")ow did you find all of this out" #ale asked.

"%heres the little bits ( remember mother telling me and the rest ( picked up

from city gossip." Ben sighed. "-hatever you do, dont use your other name aroundnormal people. Even mother called me Ben around anyone but father." )e felt a little

better, telling his sister this much. -hile he hadnt thought much about it since hewas a child, it still felt as hed removed a major weight that had been on his chest.

"Alright, thats all. 'eel better" ( asked with a reassuring smile. #ale nodded after amoment.

-ithout another word, Ben hurried off to do his chores before Mathias got tohim him for being late.

%he parcel was still there and despite having told his sister part of what hed

been hiding from her, his an$iety just grew whenever he even glanced at it. Mathiusdidnt seem to notice it, despite being in clear view numerous times, something thatdidnt help Bens an$iety in the slightest.

%he forge was as busy as he could e$pect, so thankfully there was work totake his mind off of the parcel for a time. But eventually the day came to its end and

Ben followed his master back to the house.#ale was moving happily, more so than Ben had ever seen her. !haron would

occasionally have to tell her to be careful as #ale would almost drop something in amoment of distraction. %he hairs on Bens neck rose and he had an ominous feeling

that there was something going on with #ale that was beyond simple cheer.%hroughout dinner, he just couldnt shake his building an$iety and finally

when there was a moment he could get #ale alone, he pulled her out of earshot. )e

didnt even say anything before #ales smile started to drop. "-hats going on 2ouarent acting like yourself, #ale." !he hesitated and fidgeted with her hands. )er

head turned as if trying to listen to something and Ben firmly grabbed her shoulders.)ed sacrificed far too much time for #ale to ruin everything. )e needed to

know what was different.%hen his eyes caught a glint around her neck. A golden glint. !omething that

looked like nothing theyd ever owned before. "#ale" Ben asked worried. "+lease tell

me that this is good news. #ale""(t was all ( could find, but ( was guided to it." !he pushed Bens hands off of

her and pulled out a small golden pendant. 3arved with a combination of embeddeddiamond and opal, Bens eyes widened and he almost recoiled as he recogni*ed

0edes symbol. (t was something he would have e$pected to see from a priest. (nfact, as a child hed seen the riches worn by the various priests allowed in the city by

%obias. "( went into the temple." Bens chest was pounding as he fought the urge torun and the urge to embrace his sister and throw the pendant away.

-hy did he have this feeling of dread (t was even stronger than the uneasethat had filled him whenever he saw or thought about the parcel in the shop. -hen

he thought about that strange man named Morgan. -hen he thought about any ofthis stuff concerning the gods recently.

)e turned away. %he sense of dread was making him feel sick. #ale put thependant under her neckline once more and looked at Ben with a worried e$pression,

but left him alone in the hall. Ben just stood there, staring blankly. -ith how things



were going, even if %obias didnt hear of anything and take Bens life apartpersonally. )e still felt that things were changing to dramatically than he would have

liked.Ben walked numbly over to the window where he could barely see the forge in

the darkness. )e wasnt sure how much time passed, but after some time he felt alarge hand clamp down on his shoulder from behind him.

"-onderful, isnt it" Mathius asked. Ben stayed silent, though it took effortnot to jump. )e hadnt heard his master. "Ben, (m going to be honest. -hen youcame to me years ago and asked to be my apprentice, ( had considered saying no.

2ou were older than the age where most other apprentices start. %hat and (ve seen

you stealing to survive No, let me finish," he said when Ben turned his head andopened his mouth to speak, "( saw you stealing as a child. But -hen ( thought about

your re&uest, you looked like you honestly wanted a change in your life. Now ( didntgrow up as you did. ( was apprenticed when ( was ten. ( was diligent in my work, like

you are. But unlike you, my heart stayed in it. 2ou grew up differently and longer,boy. -hile (m proud that you want a simple life, ( dont think that is truly what you

want, is it !peak honestly.""(... didnt want to live on the streets anymore. %he guards would kill us

eventually. %hat they didnt is a miracle. (t took a while before ( could think of how

and who to go to." Mathius nodded."2ou chose this life, but your sister ( dont think is suited for the life you chose

for her, dont you agree" Ben was silently but nodded after a moment. "And today,

something happened to her that made her happy." )e gave a small chuckle at Bense$pression. "( can read people too, Ben. ( know youve been worried over the past

few days. And ( want to tell you something simple6 just as you did through yourchildhood, follow your heart. )ave a good night." )e clapped Bens shoulder once

more and walked away. Ben was still.-hat was his heart telling him to do -ell, the logical thing was stay with the

blacksmith. But there was something within him that was telling him to leave thecity. )e hated living in fear of %obias and his cronies. But he knew to keep his head

down. )e didnt have the strength to defy a soulforged.

But someone chosen by the goddess of mercy had personally handed Ben aparcel. And it obviously had power, as Ben could still remember the feeling in his arm

it had given him. Ben could guess at what hed been given, but he didnt want tobelieve it.

Ben had been unable to sleep. (t was the middle of the night and everything

was &uiet. !o instead of sleeping, he was tiptoeing silently through the house and

out towards the forge.-hen he was out in the open, he had to duck under the counter as a city

guard passed by. %he parcel was only inches from him now and Ben grabbed it,sitting on the ground and &uietly trying to remove the leather wrapping. As the he

pulled the last fold away, Bens breath caught.)is eyes met with lightly glowing glyphs and dark leather. %he contents were

much larger than the parcel had led him to believe. And Ben could see what it was6 asuit of leather armor. (t wasnt just enchanted. Ben could feel the sheer power

coming off of it.")anan gives me some skill with illusions," Morgans voice suddenly said

beside him. Ben jumped and looked at the man who hadnt been there a momentbefore. "( masked its power until you opened it. Now (d advise arming yourself and

grabbing your sister. 2ou need to get out of the city until you are ready."Bens eyes were wide as Morgan vanished, but obeyed the mans advice. )e

hadnt worked much with leather armor, but the suit was surprisingly simple and he



was dressed in a matter of minutes. -hen we was finished he stood there for amoment, looking down at himself. By donning the armor, he was certain of what it

meant.)e was now one of the soulforged. %he runes on the armor glowed with a dull

icy blue light. )e fle$ed his muscles and was surprised to find that the armor fight sowell. As if it were a second skin that had been made for him and him alone. +ower

was coursing through this body now, making him feel stronger, faster, even morealive than hed ever felt before.

"#o7" Morgan hissed at him, reappearing, pushing Ben towards the back door.

"Marvel later, leave now7"

"-hos in there" A voice called from the street. Ben fro*e and Morganpushed him again, his own body suddenly covered in a suit of armor. (t looked like a

combination of plate, mail, and leather. And there was a warm radiance to it. Benseyes widened and Morgan pushed him again.

"#et going," Morgan ordered again. "(ll hold him off." %here was a wordlessbattle cry and instantly a giant sword crashed through the front of the shop. %he

man holding it was wearing black armor that seemed to glow with darkness itself.Morgan simply slid backward and dodged the attack, in his hands he held two blades

that were almost too short to be called swords. "#o, Emael7"

)is name snapped Ben out of his trance and he started running. )e ran backto Mathius house and ran right into #ale as she was trying to close the door silentlybehind her. %heir collision slammed the door instead and #ale blinked while Ben

started picking himself up off the ground. As he did, #ale grabbed his shoulder andhe reali*ed that she hadnt fallen with him.

(nstead it had been as if hed just bounced off of her. %he impact made himpause in shock, but he was back on his feet almost instantly. "Ben whats going on"

she looked at him again. "-here did you get one of those""4ong story. -e have to run." Ben said &uickly. %here was another loud crash

from the direction of the forge and Ben grabbed #ales wrist in a panic. "Now7" )epulled her for a bit before she started to run beside him, easily keeping pace. Ben

kept looking to the sides, wondering why there werent more guards.

As soon as they hit the alleys they lived in as children, Bens sighed in reliefand slowed down. )is memory of the back streets and side passages through the city

had to be greater than the citys defenses had.Bens and #ale pressed against the side of a house and waited until a patrol

passed, then crossed the street as &uickly as they could. %he city wall was actuallymuch closer than it felt now. -hile in truth it was only a few streets away, it felt like

a league. %he difficulty was then in getting past the citys wall, since they were far

too big for the hole Ben had snuck them through when he was three.Ben motioned for #ale to move after the ne$t patrol passed and they crossed

another street without issue. -hen Ben joined her, he pressed himself against thewall of the house and looked at his sister. !he was holding that strange pendant in

both hands, her head down and lips moving as if speaking. Ben touched her shouldercarefully and she looked up instantly in shock at him.

"#ale, we have to keep moving." )e told her. !he nodded and tucked thependant under her clothes again. Ben was still as he watched her move ahead.

!omething was definitely different about his sister. And that pendant carved with0edes seal was the only clue Ben had.

%he ne$t street was more heavily guards as patrols moved from house tohouse, kicking in doors as if searching for something. Ben didnt need to guess what

or who they were looking for. %he soulforge he was wearing felt cold and Benwhispered a small apology to the people being affected by the search for them.

Ben peeked out of the alley and looked both ways. -hen he saw the coast



was clear again, he and #ale began moving once more.")alt7" A voice filled with authority yelled to their right. Ben fro*e as panic set

in. #ale turned and tried to pull him away, but failed as a man in armor similar to thefirst guard ran up to them. "Boy, come with me and ( wont kill the girl. /esist and

after shes dead, you life will be forfeit." Bens heart pounded at the order. )ow couldhe possibly say no Even though his very instincts were telling him to.

"No," #ale said in a calm voice. "And we dare you to try." Blinked blinked andtried to move in front of his sister to guard her. (nstead she pushed him hard and hewas knocked sideways a few feet, falling. )e watched in horror as the black sword of

the man started to come down on his sister.

And he watched as she blocked it with a sword so large that she shouldnthave even been able to pick it up, much less wield it. -hen he took in her full

appearance though, what he saw both horrified and relieved him.#ale was wearing plate mail adorned with a cloth hanging from her belt,

which was decorated with the symbol of 0ede. %he plate was lac&uered white andglowed with radiant light. )er sword was just as long as she was tall, but much wider

than any reasonable sword should be. (t looked like it would weight far too much forany reasonable person to wield properly... and she was currently holding it in one

hand as if it weighed as much as a feather.

All Ben could do was lie there and watch as #ale over powered the guard,knocking his arm wide and slashing across his chest. Ben watched in shocked horroras #ale cut the man to the ground with the sound of rent metal. (t happened so fast

her blade was even clean of blood. -hen she turned to face Ben he saw the pendantwas set into the front of the breastplate.

"Ben, we have to run," she told him as the other guards nearby all startedrunning towards them. Ben nodded and scrambled to his feet running after her and

looking back only when they had ducked into cover. %he alley was only wide enoughfor at most two people, but not if they meant to fight. 1ne of the guards had a bow

though and they pulled back an arrow.8nable to think from fear, Ben threw up his hands to protect his face and

closed him eyes, free*ing.

%he sound of metal on metal rang out and Ben lowered his hands enough tosee Morgan there, his swords in hand. "-hen ( tell you to run, damn it, ( mean it.

9eep moving7" )e grabbed the hood against Bens neck and dragged him until Benresumed running. "Battle is not something you hesitate in. ( reali*e you arent

hearing a gods voice in your head, but keep it in mind."%he man cursed as one of the guards drew close, raising his swords to deflect

the soulforgeds a$e as it attempted to come down on the insane mans head. )e

was pretty agile considering the combination of plate and chain, with bits of leatherhere and there that he was wearing.

Ben watched the fight for a moment longer before turning and running. )edidnt know what the soulforge he was wearing afforded him, but fear made it likely

that he wouldnt find out until he got to safety. !o he ran, catching up to #ale easily,as the s&uare stones of the city wall drew closer. %he sounds of fighting behind him

faded as he focused on his desperation.)e and #ale arrived at the wall that surrounded Malaolc. #ales sword was

nowhere to be seen and she was pressing her hand against its surface and her headcocked as if she were listening to something. Ben was looking in every direction he

could, trying to decide where to run ne$t."Ben7" #ale shouted, trying to get his attention. "Ben7 Break the wall7" )e

blinked, trying to understand e$actly what she was asking. )e stared blankly at #alefor a moment before looking back at the fight Morgan was involved in. %he man was

using the alley as a choke point but was still facing off against three soulforged by



himself and was slowly getting pushed back. 1n top of it, Ben couldnt help butnotice the small patches of blood that Morgan seemed to be leaving.

"Ben7" #ale shouted again. )e wasnt paying attention though. (nstead hiseye caught movement on one of the rooftops above Morgan and Ben looked up to

see the guard with the bow moving into position, an arrow notched and ready todeliver what would likely be a killing blow to Morgan.

"No," Ben cried, adding his voice to the battle, as he unconsciously flung hishand towards the archer. Energy lashed from him as the runes on his armor burstinto a bright blue light, blinding him momentarily. Ben couldnt really e$plain what he

did, but when the light faded and his vision returned, he could only stare in shock.

%he archer was fro*en solid in what looked to be a giant mass of ice. %he roofof the building was slick with ice and the air was a fro*en mist. Ben was panting as if

hed just sprinted a mile, his own breath coming out as a fog.After a moment, #ale grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "Ben, ( need you

to break through the wall." )e blinked at that. -hen he didnt respond, she sighed."2our magic. 8se the soulforge and break the stones with ice. 0ede says to trust your

instincts."Maybe it was the fact that a goddess was giving him advice through his sister,

but Ben nodded and turned towards the city wall and placed his hands against it. )e

didnt know how he knew, but an idea came to him. -ater and ice could break apartrock. (t could split stone. And the cold inside of him was the very ice he needed tosummon.

8nlike before, while the runes flared brighter, they didnt blind him as frostspread from his fingers and ice grew in the cracks. (t took several seconds to get

anywhere and in the end, Ben was forced to slump tiredly, the wall still standing.Nonetheless #ale smiled at him before curling her hand into a fist.

#auntlet collided with ice and stone. %hen again. And again. And finally oncemore. Ben became dumbstruck yet again when the wall gave. A hole wide enough for

a single person formed as the stones collapsed outward and fell to the ground. #alegrabbed Ben, who was still winded from his spells, by the arm and pulled him

through the hole, even as the arm shed just used to create their escape route was

limp at her side.Nevertheless, she continued to pull Ben until he had caught his breath enough

to run beside her as they made their escape into the night.

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Soulforged Chapter 1