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--donation bonus (day #15, post 4/5)--
Hector spent the rest of the night and morning practicing--or perhaps, playing--with metal. He made a sphere without any trouble, growing it into a wrecking ball. He hollowed it out, rendering it a mere wireframe, and climbed inside, wondering if he could push it around like some kind of giant hamster ball. The frame was not structurally sound, however, and collapsed on top of him.

He also made a dome over the entire sandlot, which seemed to impress Garovel, especially when Hector demonstrated that he could empower it with his soul so that the reaper couldn’t phase through.

After a while, though, he moved on to weapons. He reforged the same sword and shield that he had used against Geoffrey, same jagged edges and spikes. They were so much heavier than he remembered. Garovel helped him out with enhanced strength.

The sword and shield were both very crude, of course. He wondered how he might be able to rework them. The sword’s jagged edges seemed somewhat useful, but they gave it more tearing power than cutting. He smoothed the blade out and detached it from his gauntlet. It fell tip-first into the sand. He gave it a metal hilt and picked it back up.

‘Hmm. You don’t have any training with a blade, do you?’

“Uh, n-no...”

‘Want a few pointers?’

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Stoker tried to keep his gaze nonchalant as he looked around the room another time. Karkash and Hoyohté were right there next to him. He eyed Nize again. ‘You’ve gotta stop talking like this,’ he told her in Vaelish. ‘If Karkash hears you...’

‘I know,’ she said privately, also in Stoker’s native tongue. ‘But I can’t take this anymore. Everything I’ve done--made my servants do--in the name of the Void. Purposeless brutality. Three hundred years, blindly doing whatever--’

‘I get it,’ said Stoker ‘You’re having a crisis of faith. But it will pass if you just relax and follow our orders.’

She stared at him. ‘Such promises are a fool’s comfort.’