“What?” His mouth formed the word, not that she could hear him, but she knew what he said.
She opened her mouth to explain, but realized he would recognize a lie and he couldn’t hear her anyways. So she just smiled and lifted up the second bow as if she was simply being helpful. He stared hard at her, but then shrugged as if he didn’t care if she wanted to halve his burden. The two of them had then walked back together towards where Glom waited with a pile of treasure stacked around him.
Snaglak soon joined them. He was hefting a massive double-headed battle ax that fit him perfectly. He also wore a similarly sized gauntlet all done in scarred, dark metal that clearly had been fashioned for an orc. A helmet with odd black horns that spiraled up towards the ceiling completed the look.
She smiled at him and made a gesture that he looked quite good. Snaglak delighted her by striking a pose, lifting up his chin and hefting the battle ax as if he were some orc leader of old. For a moment, she could almost see it. But then Snaglak was silently laughing at himself. She clapped. He bowed.
She looked down at the daggers. They had fit her hands well. In truth, they called to her. But she firmly ignored that. She had no idea who Helgrom would gift them to. These were his to give out after all. But she really wished he’d let her keep the daggers. She loved the ones she had, but these were different. They felt meant for her. She sighed.
Helgrom was the last to join them. He had with him an ebony staff with a purple jewel at the top and a cloak made of black feathers. The feathers shimmered with a purple light as they moved. The interior of the cloak appeared to be a black, metal mesh lined with dark purple silk. Light, flowy, beautiful, but not exactly useful in a fight in terms of protecting someone unless it was heavily spelled. As Helgrom came near her, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. It was heavily spelled. But the magic smelled strange. Like old blood. Helgrom had an odd expression on his face as if he wished he were not touching either piece, but he moved with determination as well as if he had to do this.
Who are these pieces of weapons and armor for? She wondered to herself. There are not too many of them so it is not as if we could even outfit one group of Protectors. And I can’t imagine anyone wanting to wear that cloak or wield that terrible staff!
Her brother was frowning as well. Perhaps his thoughts were the same as he opened up the bag at his waist and then gestured to the myriad of weapons and armor around them. They were all magnificent and would make an incredible addition to any Aravae Armory. She knew her brother’s bag was spelled so that it could likely hold a room full of weapons, armor and more without bulging or weighing any more than if a feather was in it. But Helgrom shook his head decisively as if to say, “This is all we are allowed to take.”
She was not surprised at the look of shock then disgust that flowed over Darcassan’s face. But the look didn’t last as long as it should have. It was almost as if he were playing at being disappointed. Almost as if he had taken something that made leaving the rest less painful to him. But she’d seen nothing in his hands.
Yet the bag could hide any number of things and we’d never know.
The urge to snatch the bag from her brother and root around in it was in the front of her mind when Helgrom picked up the daggers and offered them to her. She took them and made to put them into the bag, but Helgrom grasped her wrist. She looked back at him and he shook his head, indicating that they should stay with her. She widened her eyes. She put a hand against her chest.
“For me?” she asked.
He nodded. She beamed. He then tapped the bow she still carried and indicated that it, too, was for her. He handed her a quiver of ebony arrows. Her lips parted. Both the bow and arrows were magnificent. She tried to give them back. This was too much. But Helgrom smiled at her kindly and pushed them back towards her. They were hers. She quickly strapped all of her new weapons in place and grinned.
They’re perfect!
Helgrom then turned to Darcassan who was standing there awkwardly. His expression was too blank. When he caught her looking at him, he tried to express excitement for her, but it was faker than usual. Again, these were signs that he was hiding something. He must have taken something. But she had no proof of it. Not yet.
But when Helgrom indicated that the matching bow and quiver of golden arrows were his to keep, her brother’s face transformed. Shock then… dismay. Just for a moment. Guilt and shame but they were just flickers and she could have been wrong about them. But then he smiled broadly even though the smile did not reach his eyes and made a sweeping, ridiculous bow. Helgrom sighed silently.
Helgrom cocked an eyebrow up at Snaglak who was busily gazing around the room at everything except the dwarf. He clearly hoped that Helgrom was not going to take his magical treasures away. Helgrom patted his arm, which had Snaglak looking down with big eyes at him. The dwarf smiled and nodded. Snaglak let out a roar–though it was silent–and did a happy dance in a circle. He stepped on Glom’s tail–by accident, surely–as he did so. The naki hissed silently and bit his right butt cheek. The orc must have let out a prodigious howl, but that, too, was silenced by Darcassan’s spell. The orc and the naki proceeded to chase each other around the Armory, knocking suits of armor over and crashing into walls. Helgrom pinched the top of his nose and shook his head, but didn’t attempt to stop them.
If they could be stopped. Which I doubt.
Helgrom then put the sword, shield, cloak of feathers and staff into a small bag at his waist–smaller than Darcassan’s–and yet all of the things disappeared. It too was magical! She blinked. She wondered if the sword and shield were for Aquilan, though really he had such a magnificent blade in Glorandal that she doubted the sword would be for him. Maybe the shield? And what about Rhalyf? The sword? Or maybe the cloak and staff? No. And then there was Declan… Well, he had the niri blade Ardreth. Nothing here could match that in power or price so maybe Helgrom didn’t think that he needed anything.
Helgrom gestured for them to head out of the Armory. Snaglak and Glom were back. Both were breathing hard. There was naki slobber all over Snaglak’s butt. But both appeared pleased by the whole experience. She would never understand orcs. But Snaglak seemed like a kind sort, which she couldn’t believe she was saying. Most orcs she’d encountered were vile, stupid creatures who would as soon eat her as look at her. Snaglak was the exception.
Or maybe you just haven’t met enough orcs to truly know, her mother’s remembered voice rose in her mind.
Unlike her father, her mother had never been prejudiced against the other species. She had always been interested in the histories, culture, language, magic and gods about all of the people of the Empire. She was more like Aquilan than Vesslan in her openness. Sometimes Elasha wished that Aquilan was with her mother instead of Vesslan. She thought that her mother would have wished that, too. But Aquilan, even if he’d had any thoughts of such a thing, would never have acted upon it. He was much too honorable for that.
The five of them headed towards the Armory’s doors. Once more, there was an engraved scene on the two doors. Helgrom nicked his thumb and let the blood flow. This time it flowed from Illithor to Xrdatha. And at that moment, she had a thought. Were they in Illithor now? Was the Armory not actually in Xrdatha, but sunk deep below the ancient Kindreth city, only accessible by a magical door in the dwarven city? At least, only accessible to an heir of the Draesiwen king through Xrdatha? Maybe there would be a way for Vex to access this Armory any time he liked from Illithor using his own blood. That would explain many things like why Helgrom was only allowing them to take certain weapons and armos and not others. Maybe these were Draesiwen treasures as opposed to Kindreth ones.
If that is the case and Darcassan stole something that Helgrom didn’t give to us… oh gods!
Snaglak and Glom had already disappeared through the door. Helgrom was waiting for her and Darcassan to go through. She spun around and gazed at her brother with meaning. He stared back at her blankly and gestured for her to go through the doors. She reached for the sack. He caught her hand. She pleaded with him with her eyes.
“Darcassan, this could be Illithor! You can’t steal from here!” She cried even though her voice was completely silenced by the spell. She vainly pulled on her hand to try and get into his sack.
He stared at her blankly but then his brows drew together. He stood up straight and tilted his head up. Offended. He was offended that she thought he would steal! Her heart tumbled. Was she wrong? Maybe she was wrong and he’d taken nothing. She was basing everything on fleeting expressions on his face! She caught Helgrom staring at them both out of amber eyes, stroking his beard, but making no comment or gesture.
“Please, Darcassan! Show me what’s in the bag!” she begged.
She’d sworn to Rhalyf that she would ensure her brother took nothing from Illithor. Even if this wasn’t Illithor, the thought of him stealing from the Draesiwen–from Helgrom–was just as horrible, but likely to have less consequences than stealing from the Night King.
Her brother stared at her stonily. But finally, with a silent huff, he opened the bag at his waist and indicated for her to look in. She did so. Nothing. There was nothing there. Shame caused her cheeks to flush a hectic red.
