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((Double Wednesday -- Page 1 of 2))
Former royalty among the Hun’Sho. Scarred eternally by what the Hun’Kui had done to his people. Transformed them. Into worms? The Sludge Sickness.

Royo was able to perceive that much in an instant, but there was much more there--darker thoughts, dwelling more deeply within. But Royo didn’t need to know the man’s life story, right now. He needed to know how to kill him.

And so the Eye revealed it to him.

A core in his chest. Seyos’ heart.

Royo didn’t wait. He pulled his pistol, aimed for it, and fired.

He was off the target, though. At this distance, the core was too small of an object to hit, and the flaming bullet instead pierced Seyos’ right lung.

And Royo knew that, somehow. The Eye was telling him.

He didn’t have time to be impressed, though. He’d given away his position with that gunshot. He bolted left as a giant hand crashed down on the spot where he’d just been standing.

The hand. Royo’s gaze lingered on it long enough for the Eye to reveal its nature to him.

One of the Fists of Enkir. A gloved artifact imbued with the properties of a magma golem. It could stretch and even grow far beyond its perceived physical size. It also burned to the touch--and would have to Royo, if Hun’Kui weren’t so resilient to heat. Crafted 1,527 years ago by Arigas, whoever that was.

Interesting, Royo thought as he ran.

But if it worked on the Fists, then wait. Could it also...?

He looked at his own boots. The Boots of Karugetti.

They maintained their momentum in accordance with the wearer’s will. Crafted 363 years ago by Arkos.

A much shorter and simpler description than the Fists, and in the heat of the moment, Royo was having trouble conceptualizing what it meant.

One of the hands had Lenos in its grip now, he noticed, and the other was pursuing him again. The Sword’s invisibility had faded.

Royo activated its illusion power. Three copies of himself shot off in separate directions, mimicking his same running posture. He made sure to zigzag to add to the confusion, then aimed his gun again and fired. This time, it hit exactly where he wanted to, as the target was nearer and larger.

The hand that had Lenos exploded at the wrist when the bullet cut through it, and Lenos was free again. The man fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, however, not moving.

Royo pulled the trigger two more times, aiming for Seyos himself again, but there was some sort of shield there, now. The Shield of Hamenszoon, the Piercing Eye told him.

An artifact capable of absorbing any projectile under a weight of seventy grams. Crafted 792 years ago by Hamenszoon.

Royo growled to himself as the Sword’s copies faded. He would have to reload soon, and he didn’t have that many bullets left.

He needed to get in close. If he could do that, he could end this in an instant.