Ignite the Sun

Thratvar was standing in front of seven swords brimming with the power of controlled Blight. His order was finally ready and he was rather pleased with the results – it was time to distribute the prototypes.

"You called for us?" David entered the chamber, followed by the six other knights, and surprisingly, Tharosk.

"Yes, although I don't recall including the Ravager in my request." He looked at the Blightborn in question.

"I came to observe, is it not allowed?" Tharosk raised an eyebrow.

Thratvar had to admit that after the Blight suppression the Ravager's personality changed quite significantly – he was no longer the hot-headed simpleton he observed all those weeks ago, but a calm and calculating person with a surprising aptitude for Blight-related powers.

Yet another proof that they should be the one controlling the corruption, not the other way around.

"You may do as you wish, just don't interfere with the process."

"Wasn't planning to." Tharosk assured him and took a spot in a corner of the room.

David approached the swords laid out on the old table and inspected each of the weapons.

"How are they different from the prototype wielded by Arthur? I don't fancy going insane and turning into a shadow monster."

"The Blight is suppressed using a different method, which should be significantly more stable while increasing its output – but the biggest difference are the wielders."

"Go on."

"Arthur lacked the thing you call aura and was therefore very susceptible to corruption, meanwhile you are among the strongest users of it among humanity. That power will protect you from any and all influence of the Blight." Thratvar paused. "I also took the liberty of adding a binding capability to the blades, but you don't have to do that until you're sure you will keep using the sword – after all the process is quite... irreversible."

"I need you to elaborate on that." David insisted and looked at the Pathseeker.

"It's a novel technique I invented – in theory it's meant to use the transformative power of the Blight to make you stronger and reshape you in the image of the weapon you wield, all the while completely avoiding corruption."

"How will the transformation change us?"

"I must admit that I do not know that, as it is the first time I will be attempting something like that outside of small tests – what I can promise however is that it will not put you under the thrall of Blight."

"And it will make us stronger?"

"Most certainly."

David's gaze returned to the blade's on the table and he ran his hand along the seven handles.

"You said you already assigned us swords, didn't you? Tell us which belongs to each of us."

"That was the idea in the beginning, and I was also planning to give them to you one by one, but I have since changed my mind – I'll allow you to select the weapons on your own after describing each of them."

Thratvar picked up the sword the closest to him – a blade made of dark steel, straight and simple, the only embellishments on its surface were two small skulls; one in the middle of the handguard and the other at the pommel.

"A soulstealer?" David raised an eyebrow.

"That is what your people seem to call this type of a weapon, yes – I assume you know it's function then?"

"The sword saps the lifeforce from whoever is cut with it, more with each cut, but with the caveat that you can't cause significant damage quickly or the blade will feed on your lifeforce instead."

"Correct – but this enhanced version is free of its main flaw, and additionally it drains your enemy's sanity as well." Thratvar smiled. "Who wants it?"

"Maybe let's go through all of them first, them we can make a kore informed decision."

"...Very well."

The Pathseeker put down the sword he was holding a d picked up another one – this one had one edge and was slightly curved, it was a weapon somewhat reminiscent of those elves wielded in legends.

"This type of sword doesn't seem to have a common name, but the enchantment on it allow to cut light itself witch could blind people, and those with great skill can supposedly even weave illusions like that. The enhancement makes the sword capable of shaping bit only light, but darkness as well."

"Isn't that substantialy weaker than the previous one?" One of the knights in the back asked.

"Only if you don't know how to use it properly." Thratvar rebuked and reached for another blade.

If the first one was simple, then this one was insanely intricate – most of the metal surfaces were host to beautifully depicted battles from various moments in history, and the pommel was decorated with a single large sapphire.

"I was a bit skeptical when Kalim told me how this blade works, but after a while I came to appreciate its unique concept."

"A memory blade huh?" Rudolph commented. "Haven't seen one since before the invasion."

"Kalim did mention that it was the only one of its kind in the place he took it from." The Pathseeker nodded. "A blade that can recreate the past based on the depth of your knowledge about it is not something many would treasure, but now with the power of your will it can also bend those events to suit your needs."

The next sword Thratvar picked up was a very odd one – its blade was very thin, but not enough to be classified as a solely piercing weapon. Additionally it didn't have a hanguard, only a thin ring separating the handle from the blade.

"A weapon with the most unusual of shapes, but its power is a very simple one – it can move independently of the user, following their will while suspended in the air. The suppressed Blight had an interesting effect on it, the sword became capable of replication, in a limited scope of course."

The Pathseeker put down the needle-like weapon and picked up the next – which made the thin sword look like a toothpick in comparison.

It was so large that it was too big even for Thratvar, and yet somehow the thin scholar had no issue waving it around.

"This blade does not posses any active powers – it's only magical quality is its weight, which has been multiplied several-fold for everyone but the wielder, to whom the weapon is light as a feather. I must admit that I do not understand how the Blight influenced this particular weapon, but I can tell something about it changed – it will be up to the wielder to figure out what."

The sixth sword was perhaps the strangest of them all – not because of how it looked, but also precisely because of it; it was the most mundane sword any of them has ever seen, there was literally not a single distinguishing feature to it.

"Don't let its simple appearance device you, this sword is just as special as all the others displayed here – it has the ability to devour and gain powers of other weapons, which means that whoever takes it will have to work the hardest for their power, but at the same time their weapon will have the greatest growth potential."

"And how did it get enhanced?" David questioned.

"Ah, I almost forgot – the effect is very simple, if not simplistic. It seems that the restriction limiting the sword to devouring only weapons was completely lifted. Now it can gain power of armour, magic items... or even people."

The knights exchanged a few hard to decipher glances but refrained from commenting.

Thratvar finally reached for the last sword and presented it to all of the knights; this one had one very clear and obvious characteristic – it didn't have a blade.

In the place where the metal was supposed to be you could only see a small blue crystal, shapes like a miniature blade.

"Kalim told me that swords like this were not only rare and expensive but also seldom used due to their nature, I assume all of you know what this is?"

All the knights nodded in confirmation.

"Fortress of Giants was one of the best equipped facilities in history and even we didn't have one." David stated. "Where did Kalim even find one?"

"The Fallen Tower apparently. He claims they have hundreds, maybe even thousands of artifacts like that – ones they can't actually use themselves and are kept there solely because of their value as collectibles."

"I'm surprised you're familiar with the concept, your kind doesn't strike me as particularly... sentimental. Collecting doesn't seem like a thing you'd do, especially when the objects hold no practical value."

"You are correct in your assumption, the Serakhiin do not collect things and I found the practice quite bizzare the first time I heard about it. There were many such things that I encountered during the invasion, but Kalim is a surprisingly good teacher when it comes to your culture and customs – I probably still don't know some things but you'd be surprised by how much I learned."

Thratvar put back the seventh sword and spread his arms.

"Now the choice is yours, I won't interfere with whatever you decide – all I ask of you is that by the end each of you has one sword."