Cadre: Worldshard (The Sunder Shard Chronicles Book 2) by Cobolt Dragon

Author:Cobolt, Dragon [Cobolt, Dragon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Uruk Press
Published: 2018-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Four

“There are two reasons why the beamsword became relevant after the Great Betrayal, and why they are wielded by Champions alone,” Loco said, walking back and forth before me in his bronzed, muscular form. He held one of his four beamswords in his hand, the blade inactive, lurking in the hilt. He tapped the blunt bottom of the hilt against his palm as he paced back and forth. I watched him, and tried to not get distracted by Loco’s looks and my own worries.

Pan’s new body was under construction. I had a new boyfriend slated for me who I hadn’t even heard of, let alone met. Admiral Glade had only been prevented from ordering us all scrapped by some amazing brass-balls lying. The Cadre only barely managed to function while in battle.

If anything could distract me from the otherwise delightful idea of being trained to reflect mana blasts with a sword by a walking sex-god, I think that pile of worries could do it. I blinked, realizing I had spaced out on a few sentences.

“...the Betrayal made that clear. But the second is a little more obscure. Can you guess what it is?” Loco asked, looking directly at me.

I sat up, drawing my hands back to my knees – I was kneeling in the center of the training room, my beamsword hilt set before me, waiting to be used. I coughed. “Uh, is it because we’re badass?” I grinned. “I mean, uh, we’re faster and stronger than humans. That’d help with a beamsword, right?”

Loco chuckled and shook his head. “No. Well. Close.” He nodded. “Strength and speed don’t matter very much when it comes to using a sword that is mostly coherent hatred. No. The reason is far more prosaic: Champions are machines. And when a machine loses a limb, you can staple it back on. Humans have a far, far, far harder time of it.”

“Ohhhhhhhhhh !” I said.

Loco smiled and held up his sword, wiggling it at me. “Despite the downsides of accidental self-amputation and betrayal, the beamsword is among the most effective of a Champion’s weapons. Not just for the cutting power and the reflection, but also because there are few other ways to kill fucking Fair Folk. Certain Champions, after a great deal of practice and age, can put their axiomatic energy into a signature weapon. Stern’s hammer, for example. Mundane weapons, too, can cause a fairie enough pain that it will decide that fighting isn’t worth the time spent and it will leave. That is how most fairies are driven off by militias. But each time we strike one down with a beamsword, we thin their numbers just that much.”

I nodded.

“But let's get to the reason why you’re here today,” Loco said, grinning. “Assuming I haven’t put you to sleep.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “You could read the phonebook, Loco, and I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy your abs. I mean voice.”

Loco bowed his head with an insolent little smirk, then turned and faced the wall of the practice arena.

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