Welcome to Gaia! ::

Valgard chuckled. "Ah, m'lady, don't be afraid of me. Most people don't steal things from around here because most are magely items that'll explode if you lay hands on 'em. Heck, most magely things here will bite your hand off as soon as you touch them! Ha! Like Ravenar's dagger!" He laughed.

Ravenar chuckled as well. "Indeed." He said, not really thinking of anything else to say, instead, watching Lasha from a few steps back, where he had been the whole time.

Valgard nodded. "But aye, if you're lookin' to test them out, go right ahead. I assure you, though, that you can throw these things and always have them land blade-first! I'm a master smith, you know, and I don't make things that can't be used well!" He laughed. This was quite true, though.

Ravenar shook his head. "I don't know why Deghar had me come here, but he said that you had something for me..."

Valgard's eyes widened slightly, as if remembering something important. "Oh yes! Here you are." He dipped down, rummaging around under his counter. He stood and produced a bracer. "Did I tell that dwarf something other than this?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes you did..." Ravenar said. Valgard shrugged. "Well, this is what I made for you." He pushed forward the black steel, ruby-encrusted bracer. Ravenar's eyes widened. "What exactly does it do?" He asked. "Put it on." Valgard commanded.

Ravenar picked up the bracer and found it incredibly light. He opened it, and put it on his right arm, the one it was meant for. He closed it. "Now." Valgard said. "If you are ever attacked, and that arm's in front of you, a tower shield that's light as a feather will come from that thing instantly. Should protect you from most anything. Maybe even dragon flames." Valgard shrugged. "Haven't had it tested, with the exception of a few things. My new cleaver couldn't break it, which is a good sign. That thing gives its bearer the power of an ogre, so you should be okay, here." He chuckled.

"Thank you, Valgard... How much do I owe you?" He asked, looking up.

"Nay, nay, Ravenar. 'Tis a gift. Remember what today is?" Valgard asked with a wink.

"..." Ravenar thought a bit. Oh yes! How could he have forgotten this day! This very, very special day that without it, he would not even be here...

"It is my Day of Life's Gift, isn't it?" Ravenar asked.

Valgard laughed. "Of course it is! How could you have forgotten your own Day of Life's Gift? You're not that busy, are you?" Valgard asked.

Ravenar had forgotten because he did not want to remember his family. Not their hateful eyes, as he was sure they were, as they saw his unconcious form dragged from the Underdark. Not the face of the Matron as he was discovered before the Grand Matron. Not the hateful eyes of his two brothers that had been born at the same day he had.

But this day would have to be a joyous one. How could he have forgotten? But yes, this bracer would be quite nice to have. It looked rather striking, when coupled with his robe. "Thank you, Vaglard." Ravenar said with a bow.

Valgard nodded. "No need to thank me. I thank you for being here. You're one of the few mages that actually talks to me..." He trailed off.

((AOL... should die. I have been trying to post here for who knows how long... but between AOL and Gaia it took me this long and who knows how many tries to manage it.))

Imo suppressed a whimper at the harsh look of the woman's eyes. "Why?" he whispered quietly, confused by this sudden turn of events.

The woman gave him a long look before a bark of amused laughter burst out of her mouth. "Why darling, what did you think that dragon sign meant?" She covered her eyes with her hand for a second, holding her chuckles. "The less-than-legal side of town does so love the taste of delicacies these days... So much that they'll pay small fortunes for mere ounces of the rarest kind." The crone looked back at Imo, her gaze predatory. "That field can kill a dragon in hours, you know. So useful... it'll keep you contained and prevent you from trying any magical attacks, to boot. Magic can't pass, remember?" she added, her voice a sickeningly sweet imitation of her previous guise.

Imo tilted his head back and howled an infant's cry for help. Normally the magic in it could call adult dragons near in fractions of a second--but the magical component of the screech merely disappeared into the void surrounding him. The woman flinched at the noise, but otherwise ignored his outburst; flipping her graying hair over her shoulder, she disappeared through a small door out of the factory without further explanation.

Ears twitched suddenly as a loud noise was heard far to the east of the two. Stopping in mid-stride as she was walking towards the two men, her slender eyebrows furrowed. The cry was faint, but just enough that Lasha could hear it.. She wondered if Ravenar heard it too..

"What the..." She commented, averting her black eyes to the direction of the sound.

Valgard and Ravenar had been too busy laughing and talking to hear this noise, and therefore continued, until Lasha interrupted. "What noise?" Ravenar asked, turning to her, still speaking somewhat lightheartedly.

Valgard heard the noise repeat itself. "Didn't sound too good..." He looked around, then nodded his head towards his broadsword and round shield. "Anything I can help with?" Valgard asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't think so." Ravenar frowned, finally hearing the noise. "It sounded... strange... That's for sure." He said, thumping his staff against the cobblestone path a few times. "Hmm... perhaps we should go investigate?" Ravenar asked Lasha.

(Sorry. Couldn't think of anything Xx; )

Imo was quiet for a moment as his shriek died down, his breath coming faster and faster as he circled the inside of the barrier. If he concentrated hard enough he could almost feel the magic inside himself weakening already, with no connection to the world around....

A screech left his body involuntarily as his tail brushed the magicless barrier yet again. The dragon's eyes were wide with fear as he stared into the darkness--if he'd just stayed with his family till he had aged a bit! The great Kalereneth Aynra d'Malpen Assessonia could've taken care of that nasty crone with a sly look from just one of her great eyes.

Seeming to flinch at the noise she turned to him with her eyebrows furrowed..

"Do you not hear that???" She asked him, her voice beginning to get slightly hysterical. If she was hearing voices that no one else was, that would NOT be a good thing. Rubbing her forehead with the heel of her hand she surged onwards as Ravenar caught up.

He had to hear it, he just had to have.... She had heard of Drow going mad before, but that was most likely due to being tainted, touched by a demon. And last time Lashantha had looked, her eyes hadn't turned red..

Giving her cloak an angry swish she continued forward, following that invisible echo that seemed to reverbirate inside of her head. She KNEW that cry, that voice... she did..

The cry sounded like a wail or a shriek. Perhaps an infant's cry... but it was no human infant.

"What is that awful noise?" Ravenar said, wincing slightly at the sound. He continued to walk along, still limping slightly from his leg that hadn't healed properly.

He began to think. What kind of creatures were here that would make that noise? Granted, some mages experimented on animals, but that was kept behind closed doors with magical sound barriers. There was a shop that he knew of that sold exotic meats. Hadn't Imo gone out for...?

"Blast!" Ravenar's recollections slapped him in the face. "Never should've let Imo go out alone! Especially with that shop..." He picked up the pace about one step faster than what Lasha was going; all that he could muster.

"We need to get to that shop!" He said, somewhat forcefully.