Chapter 43: Before the storm

Norrix:

I walk side by side with Elias. He said he will take me to a weapon's shop, to get me equipped. I get it, out of the entire party, I am the only one who is not all that versed in fighting. Even Erik can pack a punch, if he'd only wakes a tree.

"So, what is your fighting style?" Elias asks me, as we turn the corner. The trees are lit by the lights in the houses in their crowns. I have always wondered why elves live up a tree.

"I like poison darts," I admit. What can I say? I was picked by my sire just because I looked like him. After he grew bored with showing me off, he ditched me without teaching me much about the world he dragged me into.

"Can you shoot with the bow?" Elias asks. I shake my head. He sighs at that.

"Norrix, I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but you are a hostage situation waiting to happen," his words are not said in a harsh tone. Rather, he sounds concerned for me.

"I don't think the Dread Lord cares much about me. I will be fine," besides, I nearly got him under hypnosis the last time, we met.

"We don't know what Sorix wants, apart from Givontair, that is," Elias stops before a small shop, and opens the door. "Just because he doesn't show interest in us, doesn't mean that he won't show any, eventually."

I enter the shop after him. There are all kinds of weapons, lit by the candles which are littering the entire place. I whistle.

"Now this is what I call selection," my eyes go to a tube for poison darts. I check the price. Just five gold coins. I smile at that.

Yet, Elias takes my hand in his, and drags me towards the spears.

"I don't know how to wield a spear," I protest. Nor do I want to learn. Elias doesn't stop, until we are before the weapon's rack.

"I can teach you. It would be for the best, if you have some distance between the Dread Lord, and yourself," I quirk an eyebrow at him.

He takes out a spear, and hands it to me.

"Tell me what you think of the balance," Elias asks. I twirl the spear around, and marvel at the fact that it is rather easy. "You can always poison the tip, if you'd like."

"What sort of poison will even work on a Dread Lord?" I ask. We hear footsteps, and then see an elf approach us.

"How may I help you, gentlemen," the elf, who is probably the shopkeeper, asks.

"I would like a spear wielding beginner crystal, for my friend here," Elias nods at me. I hastily place the spear back on the rack.

"Elias, I don't remember telling you that I want such a crystal," I say. These crystals are no joke. If used without caution, then they can cause the person who absorbs them to go in a coma.

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"We have to take risks," it is easy for Elias to say, considering he is not the one doing the risk taking.

"I won't take the crystal. If you want for me to learn how to wield a spear, then you have to teach me yourself," Elias frowns at my words. The shopkeeper looks between us, and speaks.

"I don't sell such crystals, but I have books from which your companion can learn," this sounds better, than me risking my health.

"Yes, let us buy the books," if Givontair and Nathaniel's plan works, then Sorix will be locked outside the town. We will have time, for me to learn how to use the spear.

"I suppose, it can't be helped," Elias agrees. He takes the spear I returned, and hands it back to me. "Just know, that we don't have all that much time."

I nod. It will take many nights, for me to become decent at that, but it is not like I have anything else to do with my time. Besides, this also means that I get to spent more time with Elias.

We leave the shop with the spear, and three heavy tomes. I look up, at the night sky. The black clouds are still here. Could it be, that Sorix is still lingering around us?

"Let us get back to the inn," I suggest. Elias's eyes are locked in the sky.

"If this produces rain, then it will be a poisonous one," Elias says. "Come on, we have to go to the temple of Harika. The priest has to be reminded that his duties go beyond weddings and funerals."

I gulp at that. I still remember how I got kicked out of the temple of Istaquila. What stops the priest, in this town, from doing the same?

"Old man Gerion doesn't care much whether you are a vampire or not. What he does care about, is if Harika would let you in her temple," his words are soothing, but I don't have high hopes.

As we walk, I feel a chill in the air which wasn't there before. A wind picks up, rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees. Yet, no one seems to pay attention to this. I hear laughter from the crowns of the trees. The elves are as happy as can be.

Pulling my coat firmly around myself, I do my best to ignore the signs. When we reach the temple of Harika, we see something that makes me take a step back.

The doors are open, the candles inside are not lit. Yet, even in the darkness, I can see the corpse nailed to the arch of the temple.

"Please tell me this is not the priest," I ask of Elias.

"No, it is him. What are we going to do now? These clouds should not be allowed to spill their poison down on us," Elias marches into the temple, and begins to light the candles. "Come on, if there is no holy man, who can help, then we must do the cleansing ourselves."

I take one of the candles that is already lit, and then go around, helping Elias light the rest. I just hope that we don't hurt Nathaniel, with our cleansing ritual. The last thing I want, is for someone to get third-degree burns. Well, unless that, someone is Sorix, that is.  

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