Hana was the first to break to silence, and she did so with one of her delightfully wack exclamations. “By the Boots of Bombadil! I have 360 armor! Also, did you see my special ability? The ratkin don’t know what they’re in for!”
After a healthy dose of compliments had been laid out, I brought up the last gift of the day. “Pachi, now it’s your turn. Your best bear friend shouldn’t be the only one with a shiny new outfit. Wardahl made armor for you, too, though it is a lot daintier than his was.”
I pulled out each piece of her armor as well, and Hana immediately fell to clasping it in place.
Pachi was a sight to see when she was finally strapped in. The scales had been reduced in size and more intricately woven, and they draped over her body like a sequin dress. A yellow and orange glow lit the scales, and I marveled again at how Wardahl had made four sets of armor so individually stylized.
Like Tejon’s, Pachi’s armor had been made to wrap around the chest, so her existing breastplate didn’t have to be removed. I could only assume that when Alysand had sent him the letter, he’d given detailed information about both of the companions.
The enfield showed off her new clothes by rearing up and flapping her wings, sending dust billowing in the air. Her black and crimson fur and feathers popped even more vividly with the fiery armor on top. She was stunning.
Having restrained myself this long, I gawked at the armor’s stats.
Spark of Anwar Scale Armor Peytral
Quality: Legendary: Armor 120
Durability 380/380
+5 Vitality, +10 Dexterity, +10% Blunt Weapon Damage Resistance, +5% flying speed
Spark of Anwar Scale Armor Chanfron
Quality: Legendary: Armor 85
Durability 300/300
+15 Dexterity, +15 Stamina, +10% Elemental Resistance, +10% Piercing Weapon Damage Resistance
Spark of Anwar Scale Armor Crupper
Quality: Legendary: Armor 180
Durability 600/600
+20 Stamina, +30 Dexterity, +5% movement speed
Spark of Anwar Scale Armor Crinet
Quality: Legendary: Armor 125
Durability 225/225
+5 to all attributes, +10% bonus to Light Damage
Spark of Anwar Matching set bonus: Equipping all pieces of the armor grants an additional 5% Light Damage and 5% Fire Damage to all attacks.
Special Ability: Solar Beam
Solar Beam (Active): By combining the celestial light of Citlali’s power and the flame affinity of the Anwar scales, a concentrated pillar of fiery light bursts from enfield’s chest, searing all enemies caught in the blast. Causes 200-2000 base damage depending on distance from attack origin and epicenter. Damage increased based upon enfield’s elemental bonuses and the resistances and weaknesses of enemies. Causes Blindness for 30 seconds. Causes Burn, reducing total HP by 1% every 3 seconds for 15 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours.
I practically shouted my excitement. “Solar Beam? Damn, girl. Pachi is gonna fry some rats today!”
If I’d thought Pachi was preening before, my compliment and the chorus of approval that followed pushed her over the edge. She looked as proud as a puppy with a ribbon around its neck.
“I have something to show you, too,” Hana said, looking a bit sheepish. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but the scale armor she now wore seemed to bring out subtle notes of copper and chocolate in her eyes. I cleared my throat and gestured for her to hurry up and show me, then.
She took a step back and unsheathed her katana. I hadn’t noticed until now, but the blade was completely different. Well, not the blade itself, but the handle. It was made of a darker wood and had a weave of the braid Hana had taken from Marduk’s hide. It also had the metal cap on the end and the metal hand guard—the tsuba, if memory served. I took a gander at its stats as well and whistled. “Damn, girl! Nice piece of iron you got there. That Second Chance skill is nuts.”
She laughed nervously and added, “Yeah, I actually had to use that last night. Things got pretty intense. Pachi and I killed a Karinon. It was like a demon-bat thing that morphed its wings into mega-claws.”
I was shocked and, at the same time, impressed, “Yeah? How’d it go down?”
She smiled and said proudly, “Well, it started out by killing me.” We all laughed, then Hana told the rest of the story and a few soldiers gathered around, nodding at specific parts. Apparently, this little hunter had gained more respect than she knew.
Adalee sent a few kids to run off and bring us bowls of stew that the cook had made. We sat down right there in the street and passed around stories of the things we’d missed out on. I focused on the arena, but also mentioned the trow ambush as well. Hana told me about her sky-high fort, the wyverns, and the Ichneumon she’d slain.
I shook my head. “Gotta be honest. I’m a little jealous. I killed lots of stuff, too, but what is the deal with you taking on mythical and mysterious monsters?”
She shrugged and took a bite out of a loaf of bread we’d broken apart.
Then the clang of traded blows pulled us all out of our reverie. I was up, my axes in hand in a matter of seconds, and we all ran to the gate. A handful of riders came charging up to the gates with a group of ratkin pursuing. The archers on the towers dropped the five or six enemies in a single volley.
It was Marshal Dandre and the ranger that Hana knew. I forgot her name, but she had a face you couldn’t forget. A handful of others among them were dressed like her, too. All rangers I assumed, a total of twelve riders in all. It was the last face I saw that made me smile.
I called out to the stiff old man in his saddle. “Alice! You came back for me!”
Not missing a beat, Alysand yelled out, “Is that Madi? I should have known
