The following day was a day of rest and recovery. Two hung-over young men sat in the hall of the Black Dog. Each nursed a tall glass of water, a plate of crusty bread, and salty herbed butter. Neither had been so inebriated as they had been the night prior. Now they both paid the price. The priests had gotten out “the good stuff” after the wine and ale with dinner. The good stuff was a sweet liquor, magically distilled and instilled. Neither of them could remember what it had been called. After that, things were very hazy for both of them. They remembered singing, cheering, rejoicing, and laughing. How they had gotten home to the inn was a question, as was their state of undress and health. While they suffered from the headaches and exhaustion of a long night of drunken revelry, there was no nausea or dizziness.
They spoke quietly and began to make plans. They first examined the Void Bag the Bishop had given them. The Deacon had explained what the Void Bag was and how they worked. Each was a soulbound object. Once activated by a user, it was forever bound to only be accessible by that person. If that person died, the magic would be broken. Each bag looked like a small black silk coin purse the size of a pack of cigarettes. They were far larger on the inside. The person they were bound to would be able to think of an object and reach in to extract it. The small pouch could be spread out flat on a surface to create a thirty-centimeter hole in space, or the bag could be used as usual. Living things could not enter but could reach into space. The sack could not be pierced or cut nor taken from the person it was bound to. The bags could be reshaped in limited ways, most commonly using as a black wristband or standard belt pouch.
Each had bound their bags and felt the connection. They knew there was a pile of coins inside the bags. They were not rich but could live for a long time on their earnings. Both were excited to see what was next.
After some recovery, they headed to the elven smith Ana’s shop. They knocked and piled into the small smithy. Ana turned and looked at the two of them. She laughed at the haggard state of the boys. “A bit too much to drink last night? You two look like hell.”
“Yeah, a little celebration with the Church of Demise,” Wali muttered darkly. He rubbed his temples, thankful for the overcast day outside.
Speaking louder now, she laid on the pain. “So I think you are here to pick something up, yes?” I think I have it around here somewhere.” The boys winced at her every word. She clanked metal around faux looking for the piece right in front of her.
“Please stop,” Yacob said. He had taken the worst of the hangover. Despite his large size, he had no tolerance for drink. His eyes were closed, and a pained expression was on his face.
Ana laughed, “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Here it is.” She slid a nearly unrecognizable bracer over to the man. What was once a plain steel clamshell bracer was now a thing of beauty.
The bracer was inscribed with a beautiful pattern across its surface. The curling lines had been filled with red and gold enamel. “Paisley” was Wali’s instant thought as he looked at the design. The bracer had a band of gold now at either opening, and the whole thing had been polished to a high shine. The three Deep Jasper discs we also inscribed with swirls and loops; these hid a circle of the elven script, further empowering the stones. The interior leather had been replaced with another sort of black hide that was grippy like sharkskin but very soft at the same time.
Ana explained what she had done. “First of all, I made that dull thing pretty. If you are going to go around in my equipment, it will not be some dull thing. Next, I added some basic scripting that will make these stones twice as powerful as the basic forms you guys had made. Not that what you did was bad; it just needed some refining. Next, I strengthened the durability of all of the pieces and then again as a whole. Other than tossing it into a volcano, you will have a hard time destroying it. It will eventually repair itself if one of the gold bands remains whole. I took out the hinge and ugly clasp. It will slide onto your arm and resize as necessary.” She explained as Yacob held the thing up to examine it himself.
“It is beautiful, thank you,” Yacob said with bright eyes. He slid it over his right arm and felt the metal curl and reshape around his forearm. He flexed and moved his hand and arm, finding that the piece did not hinder his movements at all. His eyes widened as he moved some earth and fire mana into the stones, feeling the deep wells that were now empty. He could fill them and draw from them like it was his own mana pool.
Ana smiled, “For friends, this is what we do. I used more than ten gold in materials, but I quoted you ten, so ten gold is the cost. I’m going to call it an investment. I expect you to come back to me when you want something enchanted. Like that old armor of yours that could use an upgrade.” She said, eyeing the older style of armor Yacob wore. Yacob reached into his new Void pouch, tucked inside his belt, and drew out fifteen gold coins. He placed them on the table. She looked at the pile, “That’s more than I asked for.”
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Yacob held the bracer up, smiling, “This is more than I asked for, thank you.”
She nodded and slid the coins into her hand and her belt pouch. “Now go play outside. I have work to do.” She admonished with a motherly tone. The boys grinned and left the shop. The day outside was gray and clouded. A chill wind blew in from the west. It carried dust and the smell of old death from the Imperial Throne lands. They spent the rest of the day saying their goodbyes and packing up. They would head south in the morning toward the Forest Kingdom of the elves.
----------------------------
The following morning was gloomy and gray; high dark clouds would bring rain soon. They had procured a simple map and knew the road south would take them on a roundabout path toward the Forest Kingdom. The elves had another name for it, but the Harvest Kingdom folk were not known for their creativity when it came to names.
The boys had considered renting horses, but the expense of purchasing the animal, its tack, saddle, and fodder were exorbitant. Neither of them was in a rush to spend their cache of gold nor to get anywhere quickly. It was called a Long Walk and not a Long ride anyways. Wali also feared that any horse not accustomed to fighting would be a hindrance and source of injury. He did carry some prejudice, too; these were not Colri-bred horses. Colri bred the spotted “Painted Horses,” which were tall and fast, raised around warriors and bred for their intelligence. Harvest kingdom horses were either bulky draft and war horses or docile farm horses. He felt the Harvest Kingdom horses were inferior, even if he was no expert. No Colri horse would pull a plow or allow itself to be stabled for long. Different cultures equal different needs.
They stepped out of the southern gate of Belge shortly after dawn, fully recovered from the excesses of two days past. They chatted as they walked, speculating what the elven kingdom would be like. Wali had interacted with Ancient Willow, a Colri who had not been raised among the elven kingdom. Yacob had met a few elves but never gotten to know them or their history.
For three days, they walked along the road. The Great Wall was in the distance to their right. Waystations marked the end of each day, making for easy travel. Through rolling hills of farming villages, small towns, and patchy woodlots. They passed many other travelers in carts, on horseback, and simply walking like themselves. Stone bridges over rivers and the magically maintained roadways meant that moving in the Forest Kingdom was fast and easy.
Shortly before noon on the fourth day, they saw a great green forest in the distance. They quickened their step in excitement. The road led up to a small stone-walled town at the forest’s edge. Edge was a very accurate term. Hundred-meter tall trees formed a line with thick undergrowth blocking the view deeper into the forest. It was not impenetrably dense foliage but a clear line of demarcation between the two kingdoms. They could hear the calls of the birds and animals in the forest. Vines, creepers, and ferns that clung to the branches were a verdant green. Wali looked closer and saw that the Forest Kingdom resembled a mix of the Redwood forest of California and the Rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. He had vacationed and camped in both places. Ancient trees of immense girth, old-growth forest, and a sense of a connection with nature beneath the high canopy.
They continued on the road to the small town. A wall of stone three meters high and unmanned surrounded what was more of an overgrown village and trading post than a town. The gates stood open, no guards in sight. Inside the entrance was an interesting layout; buildings were set up along the western side of the road and a broad plaza on the other. A collection of wagons and tents was collected on the plaza. Each was a trader selling their wares. Voices shouting and bartering and the bleating of goats or other animals covered the area. The buildings looked like ten residences, a small manor house, a small smith, and a large inn.
The boys saw an official-looking man in robes walking the marketplace with a pair of guards tailing behind. This must be the local magistrate, he thought. They were collecting taxes on the trade that came through. Here they also saw a more extensive collection of elves than either had seen in the past. Elves in this world had wildy different hair colors, true reds, greens, white, blue, and everything in between. They were generally slimmer built than humans, with pointed ears, slanted almond eyes, and vertical cat-like pupils. They had many different sub-races, having adapted over millennia to be closer to their natural surroundings. They were almost exclusively carnivorous, with pointed shark-like teeth filling their mouths.
The boys went into the Green Tree Inn. A boisterous crowd filled the room, humans, and elves everywhere. Six waitstaff moved around the room carrying food and drink to the twenty tables. A young elven woman with pinkish blond hair approached wearing the uniform of the Inn, a green set of overalls over a white shirt. This reminded Wali of the lederhosen of Germany. The boys sat and got food and drinks.
Shortly after the food arrived, so did a trio of elves. Each had light leathers embossed with an ivy pattern and bore a bow. Two men and one woman introduced themselves and inquired if the boys needed a guide into the Forest Kingdom. When Wali said that he was looking for “Marsai” they all blanched and excused themselves after looking at a pale-skinned elf sitting by himself, brooding over a steaming mug.