“Wait, wait, wait,” Michaela’s words were slurred as she hung off the bar. “Detrick has a talking sword? How come nobody told me about this?”

“What do ya mean?” Vernon asked, amused by her drunkenness. More than half the town was now jammed into his tavern, curious about the young woman that had arrived.

“He has a talk’in sword!” she answered incredulously, raising a hand confused about what Vernon didn’t understand.

“Well, ...