THE MOMENT
"57?" Abby giggled the question and gave the sword a test swing. It felt like her normal sword with nothing special about it. She wasn't immediately impressed; but, she was also a more spell-focused paladin. Though, she hoped a legendary weapon would be overflowing with magical energy. It was also hard to say how legendary it was, considering its name.
"57," Ruby, the shop owner, nodded. She held her hand out as Abby returned the sword, and then she turned the hilt to show Abby the number etched in the pommel. "That's all we know about its creation, and all legendary weapons need some sort of name," she shrugged. "'Legendary Sword #57' works," she smiled.
"How do you know it's not a replica?" Abby asked. "The quality feels pretty average and any smith can mark it with a 57."
"I know it's not a replica because it's my business," Ruby nodded. She sheathed the sword and laid out the white leather scabbard on the counter between them. She drew Abby's attention to a hexagonal pattern etched into the aged, cracked holder. An elaborate hexagon was engraved into it, that looked almost like a pie. A red triangular piece of metal filled in one section of the hexagon with the other five sections divided by guiding lines and notably empty. The small crevices were packed with dust. "And, this is why it's feeling rather un-legendary right now."
"It's missing pieces?" Abby asked. She didn't know what else to make of the design. Ruby nodded.
"It's missing power," she said. "This sword was so powerful that it needed a failsafe of sorts. Its soul was divided into six pieces and scattered across the universe. I've only managed to find one so far," Ruby said. "There are rumors that a fragment of the sword can be found in the castle. I'd appreciate you bringing it to me if you stumble across it in your daily adventures," Ruby smiled.
"I will! But.. I don't know about 'daily' anymore...," Abby shook her head with a shrug. "It hasn't even been a week yet and I feel like I'm already getting burnt out. I think it's all the dying...," she said. Ruby nodded in understanding.
"There's an adjustment period at first," she said. "And, after a certain point, you'll get strong enough to not die every time. It gets better," she reassured the teen. "Is that why you're here browsing so late?" It wasn't lunch yet, but the sun was almost at its peak in the sky. Abby had been in the castle long before now on the previous days.
"Exploring for the sake of exploring' doesn't have a lot of appeal right now," she shrugged.
"If all you want is some direction, you're in the right place," Ruby said. "You've been unloading your loot here, but if you're willing to go out of your way I've got a whole list of items I need to restock. With an appropriate reward of course," she added with a smile. "Even giving you a generous finder's fee is still cheaper than getting them from another vendor."
"You're sending me on a quest?" Abby asked with a giggle.
"I'm giving you a reason to go into the castle and get stronger," Ruby winked. "At least, for tomorrow."
"Oh, thank you!" Abby nodded.
"Can I put this away, or did you want to see it again?" Ruby asked about the sword.
"You can put it away," Abby nodded. "It was once super powerful and then what?" she asked. "What legends does it have about it?" She was curious enough, and wanting to make conversation. Most of the people she'd met in the town were nice and when Abby decided to skip the castle that day she planned to spend time getting to know more about the locals and this new world in general.
"There are a couple. The most famous one is simply that this sword can 'cut anything', when it's at full strength. A lesser known one that goes along with that is the story about the multiverse."
"Multiverse? Like alternate universes?" Abby asked. Ruby nodded.
"Ancient stories say there was once an infinite number of universes. Then, Legendary Sword #57 was created. This sword was so sharp it cut through all the universes at once and they bled into each other; now we only have the one Universe."
"That sword..?" Despite the exchange, they started talking and Ruby hadn't put it away yet. Abby reached forward and drew the sword partially from the sheath again. "This thing cleaved through infinity?"
"Well, you know how it goes," Ruby shrugged with a giggle. "Even legends have their slumps."