Chapter 79 - Resurrection - Pt.2

“Selera?”

She turned, looking down and into the pale glow that illuminated the stairs and the passage beyond. Illias’s voice echoed back to her faintly. She quickly skipped down the stairs, her hands trailing against the walls as the felt the sway and shift of the ship above, disconcerting in this environment. Reaching the bottom landing, she stopped, her eyes widening as a narrow passage stretched ahead of her with a number of doors leading off it. At the end, one was open.

Selera steadied herself with a hand on a wall, the passage swayed with the ship as if were a pendulum. She saw Illias moving in the room beyond the open door as she approached. Quickly reaching the doorway she stood still in wonder, her eyes taking in the room beyond. It was of medium size, with racks, shelves and drawers.

“Gods, Illias, it is an armoury. You had a dimensional armoury in a chest?” she said in exasperation, “I thought these were just elaborate tales.”

He glanced at her as he buttoned his change of pants, “You are still young, Selera. You have only seen a very small portion of this world and the secrets that even the gods once pondered.” he nodded to the drawers, “It is not just an armoury. Second from the top, on the right.”

She quickly strode across the room as it swayed gently underfoot and opened the drawer. Inside were a set of embellished leather harnesses.

“Ahh, the one on the left, I think, three holsters a side.” he said, buttoning a fresh black shirt and pulling a thinly padded black vest on.

“Holsters? Are these?” she asked pulling it from the drawer.

Selera handed it to him, watching him slip them over his buttoned vest and buckling them in place, checking his arm movement and adjusting them.

“Cabinet, middle rack, fifth from the top, the wide belt.” he said, stepping to another set of shallow but wide drawers, sliding one open.

He took the offered belt and quickly buckled it around his waist, taking a dirk from the drawer and attaching its scabbard to the belt before closing the drawer.

Selera watched him in strange fascination while he moved around the room, stopping infront of a rack that held several different swords. He chose a plain, yet well-worn basket-hilted rapier and fixed it to his other side. She looked at him in amazement, dressed from head to toe in black, he cut a completely different figure to the Illias she had known and despised.

He motioned to her and led her out of the room, she pulled the door closed behind her before following him to the next. Immediately the smell of herbs and the acrid scents of various spell components assaulted her senses. A large table sat at its’ centre. The walls were lined with shelves and shallow cabinets filled with ingredients. Opening one, he reached in and brought out a small paper package, tossing it to Selera.

“One Dragon’s Breath.” he said before gesturing for her to leave ahead of him, “Second door on the right.”

She quickly exited, and moved to the door he mentioned, hearing him close the door behind him, “Who are you, Illias? This is crazy. And you tell me that Alletair has one similar to this?”

He looked her in the eye as he passed her and opened the next door, “Yes, each and every member of the order had one of these chests. Sixteen in total, chosen and tested by the mistress herself. The marks both Alletair and I wear are only given to those that pass her test.”

Illias gestured, “Come, we are almost done.”

Selera followed him into the room, surprised at the rack on the far wall.

Her eyes widened, “Are they wands? By the old gods! How many do you have?”

Illias chuckled darkly, “You can count them if you wish.”

He steadied himself against a cabinet as the room swayed, the sound of glass tinkling from within. Illias looked up, frowning.

“They are pulling up the anchor, here take this.” he quickly pulled a long black coat off a rack and gave it to Selera, “Go, wait for me back in the cabin.”

As she left, he returned to the rack of wands, his eyes searching and settling on three pairs. He drew them, momentarily feeling their familiar weight in his hands and holstering them with long disused but practised ease, making sure to lock their clasps. A shudder vibrated the room, Illias looked up, quickly exiting and moving down the passage, stopping at another door. He grasped the handle and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Another shudder vibrated the passage.

Twisting the handle, he pushed the door open and entered. A large bed filled the room, its sheets still rumpled and unkempt as if it were just slept in. Negligee hung off the edge of the bed, along with random articles of clothing. Along the wall on the floor was a thin bedroll with two blankets folded neatly on top. He glanced at the bed, a haunted expression coming to his face as he walked between them. Quickly moving to the chest of drawers on the other end of the room, he brought out a circlet and slipped it on his head, its mirrored black surface reflecting coldly. Illias looked around the room while slipping a couple of rings onto his fingers and pocketing a few more. His piercing, light brown eyes settling on the bed with a regret.

Selera stood in what was her and her twin sibling’s cabin. Watching the entrance to the passage, the unfolded chest that sat on the floor. Stepping aside, she saw movement at the bottom of the stairs. Illias had returned. He mounted the steps two at a time, quickly exiting and turning. He crouched and refolded the walls of the chest, locking them back into place, closing the entry. He reached in and returned the handle to its original position and finally closed the lid, locking it, sliding the chest back and against the wall.

The elven man that crouched before her she did not recognise, dressed smartly in woven textures of black, she was taken aback by the severity of the transformation. With his back to her, he ran his fingers through his brown wheaten hair, quickly bringing it back into a short ponytail and tying it off efficiently.

Illias turned and looked at Selera, his hand out, waiting for her to hand him his coat.

“Thank you.” he said as she handed it to him.

He quickly swept it around him and shrugged the heavy, black long coat on. Quickly resettling its tall collar down and buttoning it in at the waist, concealing his wands and blades. He smiled, his features sharp as he recognised the expression of disbelief on her face.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” came the Captain’s voice from the open door, his body filling the space as he leaned against the frame.

“You are not wearing any armour.” he noted calmly, “Though, I doubt you will need it.” he added, “Wands only?” the Captain asked.

“Out here? That will be all I need. My casting with components is limited at the moment.” said Illias offhand.

“That is to be expected.” the Captain said quietly.

Selera watched their exchange, the easy understanding between them, “Alletair, what is going on?”

He smiled slightly, “In the order, warriors and casters were paired off. We had to know each other better than the backs of our own hands. I was his shield, before every outing we had to discuss tactics as we are now.”

The Captain scrutinised Illias, nodding, “Wands?”

Illias exposed the butts of their handles. Again the Captain nodded.

“Those last two, are you sure? Or are they there as your last resort? You could level most of the enclave with those.”

“When we leave, if there is any trouble, I will give them trouble.” Illias said with venom in his voice.

The Captain nodded begrudgingly, before glancing at Selera, feeling her eyes on him.

He nodded slowly, answering her unasked question, “Once this mess is sorted out.” he said, his eyes on her, “We are already underway, within the hour we will be between the heads.”

Illias nodded, “Then it starts. Selera, when the Fiddle docks, you leave immediately. There will be unease and confusion on the waterway. If I am not waiting, make your way to the Violet Backerata.”

“Do not expect me to…” Selera said in protest.

“Trust me, Selera. It is the least you can do.” he said.

Shadow of the Eclipse: Chapter Timeline

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