Shiva's question brings a smile to Maeve's face.

"Well, we do indeed stock swords for everyone," she confirms, gesturing to the selection adorning the walls and shelves all around the shop.

Shiva smirks in return at woman's claim.

"Well, I'd be looking for bastard sword that I could summon and dismiss from this plane, that could also do magic. It was also black. I really liked that it was black."

"Aaah, a Black Blade," Maeve remarks, nodding sagely in understanding as she puts a name to the description. "How in Mabelode's name did you manage to lose it? Such swords rarely relinquish their hosts once they've taken hold of them."

Shiva takes a step forward upon hearing the title of Black Blade again. "Its heart belonged to another. A thing with no face. But can you tell me more about the Black Blades? Mine was called..." Shiva takes a deep breath. 

 "z̶̊̚d̶̿̄í̴̒y̵̐̌k̵̊̑r̴͗͆ŷ̴asf̸̛͌x̶͊̂y̶̍͝"

She flinches as a splitting pain pierces through her head, but it disappears just as quickly.

"They are aspects of a cosmic archetype," Maeve explains, "forged of Chaos and quenched in shadow. The name that you speak is abyssal and likely describes the piece of the abyss that forms the sword's essence. Some might call it a demon."

Shiva nods silently, taking in the information. "That would make sense. So the sword was alive, in a sense, forged from the Chaos of the Abyss itself. That probably makes them priceless..." She ponders the thought for a moment before returning her attention to Maeve. "Is the creation of a Black Blade something that mortals can reproduce?"

"Perhaps," Maeve muses, tilting her head pensively to the side, before concluding with a shrug. "Clearly, it has been done, but I know of no smith alive capable of such a feat."

"Hm, something to look into then. Thank you." Shiva says with a smile. "In the mean time, is there anything here that you would recommend now that you know what I'm use to?"

Maeve's eyes narrow in thought as she scans the selection around them.

"You want to stick with the hand-and-a-half, or maybe try something larger? You have the build for something big and two-handed."

“What about that one?” Caio asks, pointing to a silver blade decorated with hands and pentacles. The dark pools of his eyes are somehow even darker now, indicating that he is peering at the weave of magic within the weapon. “I don’t believe it could be shunted to another plane like the Black Blade you lost, but it carries teleportation magic specifically activated by fiendish pacts. Practically made for you.”

Shiva's eyes widen in delight as Caio points out the blade, quickly approaching it and looking it over. "Yeah, this is perfect. I don't think I mention enough how great your specialities are, Caio."

She reaches out to take it from its display, then retracts her hand as though from a fire. Turning to the shop owner, she amends the offense she almost gave. "May I?" 

"Good eye," Maeve remarks, clearly impressed, "that's a fine blade." She gestures to the weapon and gives Shiva a nod. "Breannian craftsmanship... they say that it was enchanted by a powerful warlock. The inscription on the fuller names it Hellbender."

"Hellbender."  Shiva repeats with a smile. "Of course it's Breannian. That place is just the uppermost layer of the Abyss." Despite her sarcastic tone, there's an edge of true anger to her words.

Taking up the blade, she tests the weight of it and slices through the air before her a few times. Looking over the design, it already feels familiar to her. "This should make Enbarr less cranky about my riding her." The thought of coin then rings its dissonant tone, and she gingerly places the blade back in its display. 

"I'm not particularly coin-heavy at the moment, would you consider offering it to me in exchange for a service?"

Meave frowns at Shiva and takes a step backwards, folding her arms once more.

"Your services won't feed me and mine. You're a mercenary, aren't you? There's plenty of work to be had in the red quarter. If you don't have the coin, then earn it."

Shiva takes a step back towards her friends, holding her hands up in surrender. "True enough. I'll buy it when I have the coin."

“Shall we go hunt for employment while Maeve summons Six then?” Caio asks, turning to Astrid and Alaris who have been quiet since entering the shop.

      "Perhaps in a moment, Caio," Astrid replies. "I may be able to help Shiva out here. If you still want to go earn some more coin that's fine by me," she adds, glancing to the tiefling.  

     The dwarf then steps towards Maeve, digging through her robes. "So, how much is the sword my friend is interested in?" Astrid finally produces a leather pouch, that looks somewhat full. Her fingers begin to spider their way through the contents of the coin purse to verify her funds. She looks up expectantly to the shopkeeper.

Quickly stepping to Astrid's side, Shiva's smile is one of surprise. "Astrid, you really don't have to do that. You do enough for me as it is."

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“Shall we go hunt for employment while Maeve summons Six then?” Caio asks, turning to Astrid and Alaris who have been quiet since entering the shop.

"Lately, we have been the Septum Garrula rather more than Mortale, haven't we?" Alaris grins through the receding pain the Abyssal utterance does to their essence. "I can help too, Astrid. Having a weapon that can help channel your power, Lala, may protect you from its more destructive influences."

Shiva's brow now furrows with sincere shock and confusion as she smiles at Ari and their anointing of her with an endearing nickname. She reaches out and lays a hand on the bogatyr's shoulder, then lays the other onto Astrid's while looking over to smile at Caio. "I guess that's true. Anything to soothe the abyssal maw, right?" 

Still smiling, she looks to the ground and speaks barely above a whisper. "I don't deserve you guys."