Striding up the dais, Aella decided not to even focus on the shadow that was dancing around her. This sword that was giving off so much magical power intrigued her. Stepping up next to it, she couldn"t help but sigh. It had a rune for light on it."Oh, well," she shrugged and turned away without even touching it.
"Are you not even interested in it?" asked the shadow, intrigued that she was ignoring the sword.
"Apparently, I"m not the Chosen One," she said with a shrug, stepping down the dais. "Besides, it was a great sword, which is meant to be used with both hands. I focus far more on dual blades to warrant even trying to use such a heavy weapon."
"You don"t look to like heavy weapons that are showy," it said, obviously observing her as she moved along, studying the various weapons on display.
"I like light blades, that allow me to move quickly. If I can throw them in a pinch, that would be ideal, but not necessary."
"Which bladed weapon do you prefer?" it asked, sounding as if it were drawing closer to her.
"I had a pair of scimitars I really liked. They almost seemed to sing as they slashed the air. There were some long daggers I used in the compet.i.tion that worked well for me, but I suppose I don"t really have a preference for one weapon over another. As long as it"s light, and has a blade, I would be good with it," she said spying a short sword and picking it up.
The handle and scabbard were black with silver highlights. The end of the handle and the groove where the blade locked into the scabbard had matching gemstones that swirled with a light blue and purple color. As she drew it, she saw that the blade was black, except along the edges, where a fine silver sheen seemed to glow.
"That"s a very nice blade for what you"ve described," said the shadow, flitting right at her shoulder.
Aella held the short sword up, as if to show it to the shadow, and she was pleased to see it draw closer to inspect the blade. It was plenty close enough to grab, but instead she studied the shadow weapon.
"I"ve never seen anyone actually use this blade before. I believe the first king liked the gemstone in it," whispered the shadow. It didn"t seem to have a body, consisting of only a blob of darkness that floated. It was no wonder she had a hard time seeing it.
"It has magic to it, that will allow me to slash out, sending that slash as a ranged attack," explained Aella. "I won"t have to throw it, but I"m not sure I should stop at just it. I should find a second weapon. If I could handle carrying a lot of weapons, I would outfit myself with a dozen or so, but I could never handle the weight."
"The first king had that problem. He didn"t like to only use one weapon, in case his enemies planned for that."
Aella nodded. "I"ve won many fights by throwing off my opponents that way. The more you know, the less they can plan to take you out with. May I ask how the first king managed to overcome the weight of so many different weapons?" she asked, figuring the answer would involve something along the lines of, he was just really strong.
"Oh, well, he had me. I can take the form of any bladed weapon my wielder wishes."
"Wait, really? That"s amazing!" exclaimed Aella, looking at the blob of darkness in astonishment. "I"ve heard of a lot of awesome things before, but I"ve never heard of that!"
"Thanks, he made me using alchemy. I would have helped him overcome that blasted Advisory Council, but he forbade it. I"m not sure why. He refused to tell me anything, other than to come here and wait for the next king. Only, the last two kings have never cared about me, and went into rages when they couldn"t get the sword from the stone."
"Could the first king use the sword in the stone?" she asked, wondering if he had been a hero in addition to being king, like her.
"Oh, no. He was opposed to the light, or so he said when asked about it. It never made sense to me, but he enjoyed using me, so I didn"t mind as much. I miss him."
She looked at the blob, wondering how to ask it if she could have it as a weapon. The thought of having one weapon that could change into whatever she wanted sent thrills through her.
"Can I have you?" she all but whispered. Her fingers ached to grab the blob, but seeing as it was nothing but shadow, she didn"t figure she would be very successful.
"I don"t know if you can. Can I taste you?" it asked, curiously.
Aella shook her head in disbelief and surprise, "Taste me? Sure?"
The shadow drifted towards her, swirling around her head, before seeming to drift along her shoulders, and down her right arm, swirling around it, before coming to solidify in her hand as a wickedly jagged dagger. Twirling it, Aella gasped at the perfect balance.
"I can be yours!" sang the dagger, seeming to cling to her skin for a moment. "From this moment forward, until you die, I shall be bonded to you. None shall take me from you, and I shall defend your body until the last breath leaves it. Only if you send me away, will I leave your side."
Clutching it tightly, Aella felt a charge of energy flow from it, up her arm and throughout her entire body. Shivering, the last of the energy dissipated and the blade disappeared, to form a black glove.
"I will be ready whenever you have need of me. You merely need to think what you desire, and I shall answer!" came a whisper in her head. This voice was far more intimate than any of the voices she had heard so far, in her head.
Shaking her head, Aella proceeded to strap the short sword to her side. If she were to ever tell anyone she heard voices, they would think she was crazy.
Leaving the chest, the mimic made a strangled noise from the corner where it was crouching. Its resemblance to a chest was pretty difficult to see, as it had legs and arms, extending out of the body, which had been the chest at one time.
"You even have the shadow blade," gasped the mimic, writhing and jerking as if in agony.
Raising an eyebrow, she held up her gloved hand. "This?"
"Ohhh, yes!" it nodded compulsively, crawling partway towards her, dragging its tongue on the ground behind it.
"Shouldn"t I get the best things, being king?" she asked, ignoring the mimic and heading towards the next chest.
"Can I…" began the mimic in a soft whimper.
"No, but I shall bring you something as a reward for doing such a wonderful job organizing everything."
"Really?" asked the mimic, pausing in surprise, as if that had never occurred to it.
"What was your favorite food, before you were trapped in here?" she asked, opening the lid to the next chest. There were two more in this row, and two more rows of seven. This might take a while, to go through everything.
"Meat," it hissed, the sound of saliva hitting the floor was unmistakable. "Still breathing; heart pumping; struggling…"
She refused to turn and see what caused its voice to drift away as she stepped into the next chest. It had been denied for so long, she couldn"t expect it to still be sane.
Looking around at the room she found herself in, she wasn"t very impressed. All around her, magical staffs were lined up, or leaning in display cases. They all held incredible powers, and as she stepped closer to investigate a few, she felt as if she was moving through a thick atmosphere. She didn"t care for staves. They were too heavy or unwieldy for her, though she could use one in a pinch. These were meant for someone who relied heavily on magic. Someone other than her.
Aella didn"t even bother touching any of them, because she knew she didn"t understand magic enough to use them correctly. They would remain here, for now, until a time came that she needed them, or they were needed for someone other than her.
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Leaving the chest, she glanced at the mimic. It was back in its spot, in the form of a chest, matching the other chests exactly. Apparently, the promise of meat was enough to calm itself down, and to resume its normal duties. She made a mental note to bring it something good, even though she wasn"t sure what she could get her hands on.
Stepping into the next chest, she sighed in frustration. The walls were covered in magical wands. The air was just as thick in here, as it had been in the staff chest. Not even bothering to leave the circle, she merely glanced up, and found herself back outside of the chest.
The last chest in the first row was just as depressing. Inside she found magical rods and scepters, neatly organized. If the first king had taken such an interest in magic, she knew she would have to learn more about it. Surely the knowledge wasn"t completely lost over the years?