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"I... ain...," the young girl tries to speak as soon as I let go of her.

Her voice? There's something wrong with it?

"I...an....ane..." She becomes more upset, frustrated by her own limits, and terrified not to annoy me.

I nod to her, trying to reassure her. Take your time, breathe, don't worry, you don't have to be afraid, slow down. But my words get stuck in my throat as my mind slowly starts putting the pieces together.

The young woman crosses her small naked breast, one cut, two, three...

"Lhina'an!" I shout, guessing right. The girl nods, smiling back.

She can't talk! Or rather... she can barely talk. How did I miss that? I feel annoyed at myself for not noticing faster, and yet how could I have known? Servants are barely allowed to speak, slaves even less. Still, the girl doesn't stop, trying her best to tell me more, stuttering and waving her hands, getting more and more agitated and afraid.

"Lhina'an... sent... you..." I help her by guessing her words.

She nods again, looking at me with her big blue eyes, calming down for a moment, then opens her mouth wide while trying to figure out the next word. This one is hard, too hard for her, and only a few sounds make it out. She stops, confused, mouth open, eyes fogging.

Why would Lhina'an send her to me? I wonder while nodding stupidly at the girl's desperate attempts to speak.

Wait! I know!

"Rai'Ze wants you to take me to her!" I shout out loud, making the young woman stop, staring at me, puzzled.

A smile grows wide as her entire face lights up. I guessed right again. She nods and grabs my hand, happily dragging me toward one of the side corridors.

We're not going down to the main hall, it seems. Instead, we head through an unknown narrow pass. It looks like one of the servants' passages, roughly carved and far less lit than the rest. I follow her around, barely seeing a thing, climbing stairs, crossing paths, wishing for an answer to a question I don't dare ask her.

She won't be able to answer me anyway.

We reach our destination. The young woman stops and turns around, holding my hand tightly before gently pushing me toward the entrance. To my surprise, the stone room ahead opens wide before me, and despite the darkness, I can easily make sense of its massive size. I look behind at Eln'neen, but she refuses to enter. She just smiles and carefully closes the door behind me.

I slowly step in, waiting cautiously for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. The place seems stacked with various objects and items, piled, stashed and tossed aside carelessly everywhere. They're all covered by a thick layer of dust, powder rising and glistening, giving everything an almost ghostly sheen. I'm not even sure how many things are here. There must be thousands of them.

A storage room! I conclude as soon as my eyes adjust to the new lighting.

"Marcus! You took ur time!"

The beast's loud voice echoes through the large chamber. I turn around nervously, searching for an excuse for my arrogant delay. Too late! A painful slap on the back is my reward. A punishment? Encouragement? A friendly pat, maybe?

"Got... tied down... " I try explaining myself in between gasps.

"Make light," the beast commands, walking ahead and ignoring my whining excuses.

Light?! Oh... shit.

My smartphone, where the fuck? There you go, Flashlight On!

I point the phone toward the beast. Against the darkened interior, the digital light makes her look even bigger than usual. I stare at her strong body, amazing as always, wild silver hair flowing down her muscular back. My eyes refuse the decent stop and wander further, peeking at her amazing ass. Damn!

She's one mighty gorgeous creature...

"Enough staring, Marcus, u got things to do," she speaks, moving ahead without looking back at me.

"They say you're leaving?..." I ask, walking toward her, stumbling around, and almost falling over a pile of... things.

"They found a Shen'kan, we have to go," she informs me without slowing down.

Once again her words puzzle me.

Shen'kan? A sand-beast of sorts, or so it sounds. Out of all the beasts, what's so special about this one, and why does she want me to come with her out there? I don't like this turn of events, and it's not just the damn scorching sands that I hate. I've seen what kind of creatures this world holds. From the giant sand-riding beasts to those ravenous wahnz hyenas, I already got my share of nightmares. I doubt I wish to add another one to the collection.

My feet slow down on their own as my mind gets busy trying to imagine what kind of abomination awaits me out there.

"If you too weak, stay here, Lhina'an will care for u." The gorgeous beast turns, grinning at me, eyes burning bright.

Is this a challenge?

Her eyes are pinning me again.

Is this another test?

I look down, thinking, weighing my apparent choices. I can go out there with her and face that creature. She's probably going to do all the work, hunting that thing down. Or, I can sit back at the cave, with the healer woman and the chieftains and... oh, wait.

I've seen what those assholes are made of, and I doubt I'll get far without crossing paths with them and their brutes. Without the beast around... I'm a nobody in their eyes. My mouth dries as I instinctively rub my itching shackle scars. There's a fine line to walk around here, and if I'm not playing my cards right, I can end up once more chained or worse.

"N... no... I'll come with you!" I quickly make up my mind.

It wasn't much of a choice to begin with.

"Good, u need to feed the Th'al-nik, too." She nods, content with my decision, and slaps me again on the back, thankfully on the other side.

My ribs are safe. I'm alive, at least for now. I can't say the same thing about my future.

I'm really not sure about this "u feed the Th'al-nik, too" thing. Right now she doesn't seem to be in the mood for questions, not that I dare ask them, still busy trying to catch my breathing back again. But hopefully one day I'll be able to ask her more. Cleary that day is not this one.

She grabs hold of me and pushes me right in front of a huge stash of... what are these things?

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Menacing deadly metals stacked one on top of each other shine bright under the dim lighting. A pile of weapons! I can see another one on the right and another to my left, even more of them behind. Piled together, seemingly at random, like made by insects, not humans, heaps of steel lie scattered everywhere within sight. What is this place? An armory? Why stash them like this? I bet there are better ways to store weapons, some racks maybe, at least, that's how I've seen it being done in movies and games back home.

I look ahead at the small sharp mound in front of me. Is this thing even stable? I don't even dare touch it. How many ways to bash, cut, or stab are right now in front of my eyes, I wonder? I take a step back and size the massive pile, trying to count how many blades will fall on me at once if a single one gets removed at the base. The thought alone sends another cold chill down my spine.

"Get a good one for u," she orders me, moving aside, walking carelessly toward another pile.

Take a weapon out? From there? She's joking, right?

I move closer, trying to make sense of this mass of deadly steel stacked high in front of my eyes. Strange! The more I look, the more these things don't look right to me. This pile feels different somehow from the rest... are my eyes playing tricks on me? Things are moving inside there?!

I lean forward, waving my smartphone around, hoping for a better view. Shimmering, blue, green, red, golden lines, bright symbols, strange designs carved deep, light dancing, jumping from blade to blade!

Wait! Are these... Rai'Ze's personal gifts?

I can't believe my eyes! How many are in here?!

I slowly pull out a curved sword, a massive shining thing, silver-blue, with sharp edges reflecting even brighter colors underneath. My heart stops as I move it around, the metal is rippling! Its heavy blade vibrates with every move, there's even a noise coming out of it! Its colors change too! Blue goes to green, and silver comes next, sparking brightly in the darkness of the room. What the hell is this thing?

"That's too big, Marcus," I hear the beast's voice coming from somewhere way back. Is she searching for a weapon, too?

She's right, though. I sigh, saddened by my own shortcomings. The damn thing is way too heavy for me. I can barely hold it, let alone try anything fancy with it. Damn you, beautiful amazing vibrating blade, how I wish you to be far less heavy and about half in size! I gently put the weapon back, leaning it carefully against a massive round metal shield. Is that a dragon glowing gold? Nope, I can't even lift this one...

"You don't need a heavy one, ur weak," the beast's echo reminds me.

Yeah, I know, I mutter all for myself, reaching for another blade. It's short, narrow, and feels quite lightweight. Also made out of that shiny blue metal, will this vibrate too? I pull it out, barely keeping the ones stashed above from toppling over. A dagger, smooth as glass, its sharp blade waving like a serpent's tale.

"U got better," Rai'Ze informs me of the gift I received not long ago.

I stare back, annoyed, I can't even see her, yet she's right again. My blue dagger is a bit heavier, stronger made, and even better balanced than this thing. Hmm, I should have taken it with me instead of leaving it back in her... our den. Oh well, I sigh again, placing the dagger on the cold, dusty floor next to a massive heavy sword. I'm not even trying to lift that one.

Let's see, what's that? There! I flinch as the smartphone's LED lights up another interesting blade. I grab and pull, causing a small explosion of sparks to fly around in the dark.

"What's that?!" the beast asks from right behind me.

I turn around, showing her the red blade, purple shimmering towards the hilt. A short sword! Perfect for me! I wave it around, blade whooshing through the air, sparks flying each time, look at this thing go! This is fucking amazing!

"That's too weak, break on u." She shakes her head, kicking away my little sparking blade with her massive axe.

That's too heavy, that's too big, this one's no good... you said I could choose my own weapon, damn it! I sigh, shaking my head as she shoves me aside and squats before the huge pile.

"U need an axe, arm long, blade tough, u're stupid, miss a lot." She looks ahead, starting to rummage through the sharp metal. "Needs a heavy bite, hit good, and a light body, must carry all day long," she continues, annoyed, pushing half of the pile to the side, the rest collapsing on its own with a deafening sound.

I look outraged at the crumpled heap of shiny blades scattered at my feet. Some got bent, others even cracked under the heavy weight of the ones on top. Can she be less reckless? These things are insanely precious and rare! Don't just throw them away like that!

"See this." She rises to her feet and hands me a strangely shaped puny axe.

Wait, it's not that small! It just looks like that in her hands.

I take it, holding it carefully, feeling its weight in my hand. Its blade feels heavy, has a short handle, and is not longer than my forearm. The whole thing feels amazingly well-balanced in my hand. Wow, it's just perfect! I can really see myself using this thing, chopping left and right! And it's solid too! I wave it around, trying to get a feel for it, even going for some fancy moves, stopping before it goes out of my hand, and I make a fool of myself.

"Got Ae'l, good for u." Rai'Ze points at the blade.

She said Ae'l?!

The word itself made my heart skip a beat. Where, where do I look for it?

I stare at it excitedly, smartphone in hand, flashlight chasing intricately carved patterns across its arched blade. Nice markings, superbly made, a sharp edge, but where is it? Where is the magic? I turn it on the other side. Similar lines, patterns, beautifully crafted, I can't complain, but still, there's no spark, no light, no glow, nothing.

My disappointment, or maybe stupidity, compels Rai'Ze to show it to me, taking it from my hand, grabbing tightly on its handle, and slowly pushing her own energy into the weapon.

What the...?!

The carved grooves melt, and an orange-red glow spreads through them as Rai'Ze's Ae'l flows toward the edge of the axe. The sharp rim turns red, then white-hot, and finally settles for a burning blue light. The beast smiles, waving the blade in front of my eyes, drawing hypnotically deadly bright circles in the air. Another turn and then....!

WHOOSH!!!!

My heart skips a beat as my mind freezes, shocked by the image of the axe hurtling across the room, slicing through one of the piles of iron and steel like through butter, before circling back to her hand, its edge still burning red hot. I freeze, mouth open, unable to process entirely what happened, as the beast hands me the flaming weapon.

I stare back at the unfortunate pile of metal, heart half sad for the loss of so many amazingly crafted weapons, and yet, the other half jumping for joy as I grab hold of my steel-ripper axe. What an amazing weapon! No! Artifact! Nothing compares to it! I mean, looking back at the shimmering ones in front of me, yes, these are probably just as good, but all the others... don't stand a chance! I can even feel its heat radiating through its metal handle, its edge red-hot, Ae'l streaks still pouring through its metal veins.

Danger?!!

My mind snaps back to reality, sending a cold warning signal down my spine.

There is danger nearby! Where!?

I'm holding it in my hand!

Fresh, painful lessons come back to me. I'm not at all eager to repeat them.

"Can... you?" I cautiously ask Rai'Ze for help, pushing the deadly melting red blade away from my feeble body.

Rai'Ze smiles, nodding as she grabs the handle, flowing the remaining Ae'l back inside her massive body. The blade's colors return to normal, bright silver steel, no longer melting hot. No, I'm not going to walk around holding an overcharged Ae'l weapon in my hand, just waiting for it to burst into flames and fry my hand to the bone. I got burned once. That's one mistake I won't repeat, at least for a while.

As I feel brave again, curiosity sips in, compelling me to look closer at the now extinguished blade. Patterns of intricate symbols connect deep running Ae'l grooves, forming a radial mesh of energy channels spreading through its entire surface. At a glance, it looks no different than any other well-crafted weapon around. Some are far more beautifully embellished and deadlier than this seemingly small hunting axe.

A work of art with a hidden secret. Once Ae'l gets inside it, this thing becomes unstoppable, I conclude, carefully running my fingers across its sharp edge. Cold, metal cold. This blade cut through a mountain of steel, yet there's no trace of burning, blue, red, or otherwise, or a single scratch on its surface!

Amazing!

"I'll keep it!" I quickly reply to her unspoken question, still staring in disbelief at the heap of ruined weapons behind, wondering why she cares to stash so many of them when a single one from this other pile can do this much damage.

There must be a reason, I quickly reflect. That insane power, all that Ae'l, was hers and hers alone. Since I've crossed the worlds, I've seen plenty of strong and powerful savages, slavers, hunters, and riders, but no one possessed this kind of energy but the beast. Even with my own Th'al-nik at hand, I doubt I could even gather enough to make the smallest groove light up, let alone make its entire blade burn bright red, white, or... blue.

I sigh for a moment, still mighty happy with my short hunting axe, sharp, heavy, perfectly balanced, and just small enough for me to handle with ease. One day, maybe, I'll have my own power, I don't ask for much, a tenth of the Queen's is all I wish for. Damn, just thinking about it makes me shiver in anticipation. Can that even happen?

Ah, back to reality, my Ae'l is... lacking, but I got myself a nice weapon, so there's nothing to complain about. And, after all, how much power does a hunting axe really need?

Rai'Ze's smile grows wider as I step close to her, ready to thank her from the bottom of my heart for her amazing gift.

I can't say a word, though. Probably due to excitement, I miss it completely...

Her burning eyes!

"Aaarghhh!!!" Fuck me, that hurts!

Her slap lands right between my shoulder blades, perfectly aimed, and this time I hear it! Something really broke inside! My back cracked! My ribs broke, or whatever the fuck is in there!

"U wanna see my secrets?" the beast asks me, pushing her broad chest in front of my eyes, stopping my breath in more ways than one.

"Y... yeah..." I manage to gasp, rubbing my back, nodding full of curiosity.

What secrets? Wait, is she talking about her body's...?

Are we going to repeat the last night? Can I even survive one more round with her?

Here? Now?!

Oh well, I guess my broken ribs can wait...

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