Shock filled Ania’s mind as Exile’s aura spread through the surrounding forest, as a lightning bolt struck the earth nearby. They were already returning to Eraldsfen, and they had won the battle. So why would Exile be coming to them now? Those who sensed his presence paused, as their eyes focused on the direction of where the lightning bolt had landed.
Ania felt breathless when she spotted Exile. Who was now wearing the dwarven made armour and Bjorn’s gift. The mix scalemail and full plate armour that he wore were golden, with silver embellishments. The leather tunic that he wore over the armour was silver coloured with golden embroidery to contrast against his armour.
However, over the top of that, was a black fur coat. Made from the hide of Skourj. It was sleeveless to make room for the pauldrons of his armour. The front of it flapped open to show the silvery tunic beneath. The coat reached down to just below Exile’s calves, a gold and silver belt wrapped around his waist to hold it tight against his body.
His helmet shone in the early morning sun. Featuring the same colours as his armour. It was golden, with silvery designs running all over it, culminating in intricately detailed wings on its side that reached up towards the sky at their peak. Around the helmet, covering the brow, moving between the wings and circling all the way the back of his head. Was a silver banded, golden crown.
He made for a breathtaking sight, as he walked slowly through the snow. His beard was unmoving in the morning breeze. Over his shoulders, attached to his back, the tip of the dwarven spear and tower shield could be seen. When Thovok saw that he nodded happily.
The armour was a work of art, but he was particularly proud of the shield his kinsmen had crafted. Its main metal was a black colour, which made up the background when it was faced towards an enemy. Golden bands in a mix of Skardian and dwarven styles made up its rim. In the centre of that shield was the Pantheon emblem in bright silver.
The spear they had crafted had a black shaft. Silver designs wrapped around it ending in a long, golden tip. At the base of the tip on either side was a wolf’s head with wings on either side of it made of silver. Thovok secretly smirked when he saw the expressions on Harik, Bjorn, and Ania’s faces. Exile’s gear had been designed by his people to include features from the armour and weaponry of these three.
This way, they would feel closer to Exile. As if their own gifts were a part of Exile’s whole. That they themselves represented some part of the God that they worshipped. ‘Now… He looks like the king he is…’ Thovok chuckled to himself at the imposing aura that seemed to come from the sight of Exile.
Ania’s mind raced as she spotted the similarities between her own gear and Exile’s. The wings on the helmet, the silver colourings and the spear caused her to feel indescribably closer to him. She stepped forward, away from the army, and knelt down on one knee before him as he approached. Thovok joined her but limited himself to bow with a fist over his heart.
Harik ordered a halt to the march as he and Bjorn joined that gathering as well. All four of them were curious as to what would bring him here. Skovi’s howls resounded in the woods before the great wolf was spotted rushing to Exile’s side. Ania heard Exile’s laughter in her ears as he stopped in front of them and ran his hand through Skovi’s fur.
“You may stand, we have some things to discuss.” Exile’s tone was warm, but there was something else in it that made the four of them frown.
“Lord Exile, is there something else you need from us?” Harik asked straightforwardly. Getting to the root of the gut feeling he had.
“Hm…” Exile nodded, holding them in suspense. “I need you to march East. Keep an eye on the mountains as you go. The Sommerdans have not been defeated. You merely fought against a small part of their overall force.”
“Lord Exile, if we march East we’ll end up leaving Stormcrown. The King’s forces are still out there. This is not a wise decision.” Harik frowned as he pointed out the issues he had with this order.
“Don’t worry about that. All of Skardia is coming together to stop this invasion. There will be no more bloodshed amongst us until we throw the Sommerdans out.”
“Is the threat they pose really that great?” Bjorn asked as he stroked his beard. .
“Yes, for Skardia to survive, this must be done. Do you understand?”
The four of them nodded as Skovi whimpered when Exile stopped petting him. He glanced at all of them carefully, judging their mindsets.
“When this is all over, I will reward each of you. You may ask for anything you want, as long as it is reasonable, I shall grant it.” Exile immediately deactivated his Avatar spell with those parting words.
The four of them remained in place, speechless. Each of them began to consider what they would ask for as a reward. Harik’s mind went to what his people needed to thrive. Gold, food and rare supplies to build a lasting kingdom in the future. Bjorn merely wanted to know more stories of the Gods. Especially any that could be given about the new Gods that had arrived in Skardia.
Thovok immediately started thinking about what experiments he could ask Exile to take part in. Although he had already agreed to let them study him, there were a few things he was sure that Exile would deny. But if he asked for it as a reward… A glint appeared in his eyes as he stroked his beard and chuckled.
Ania’s face turned red. She knew what she wanted to ask for, but was unsure if it was reasonable. ‘Will he marry a mortal? Or is that too much? Perhaps I should ask him to spend time with me down here.’ She shook her head in embarrassment as she tried to process these thoughts. However, she was determined to ask for something that would give her a chance to win him over.
The others smiled knowingly when they caught a glimpse of the expression she was making. Naturally, Harik and Bjorn silently cheered her on in their minds. They were all for that sort of development to occur. Even Thovok seemed to take an interest, as he guessed what she was thinking. But his interest was of a different nature.
‘A demigod, eh? That would be worth studying if we can’t make progress on full godhood…’ Thovok nodded approvingly. Having decided on a back-up plan for the future.
Meanwhile, Skovi was lost in his own thoughts. His pack was decimated in the last battle and the few survivors were unlikely to survive another one. ‘If I could have a reward… I would want a companion. Another of my kind to help me make master’s dreams come true…’
Eventually, Harik let out a long sigh as he turned to the others. “We should get moving. Warn everyone that they may not see home for some time…”
Harik’s eyes turned to the mountain peaks that they had left behind them. ‘How many of us will end up buried in those mountains…’ He shook his head as he thought about those snow-covered mountains turning red with blood.
Meanwhile, Thovok frowned as he felt Exile connecting with his mind. ‘Lord Exile… You have something you need from me?’ Thovok’s thoughts were full of confusion. This could only mean that there was something that he did not want the others to know.
[Thovok. How long will it be until the Temple is built by your King?]
‘Hm? It’s about that, eh?’ Thovok stroked his beard in silent contemplation for a moment. ‘It’s hard to say. The King will have made sure that is something fitting of a God. Our craftsmen will be taking great care in its construction.’
[I understand.]
‘Lord Exile, I assume you want to speak with His Majesty. Do you intend to bring my people further into this war?’
[Yes. We have an opportunity to seize a kingdom for Harik while everyone is focused on the Sommerdan invasion.]
‘I see. Why did you not say as much for Harik and the others?’ Thovok’s frown deepened as he struggled to understand Exile’s reasoning for this approach.
[Hm, to successfully fool your enemies, you must first fool your allies. Make sure your dwarves are seen among the army. I want our enemies to believe that we have committed everything to this battle. They must not even suspect that we have anything else hidden.]
A wide smile appeared on Thovok’s face. It was clear from this short interaction that there was more to Exile than he originally thought. As the connection went silent, Thovok thought about the future. ‘Hm, has something changed about him?’