Chapter 178: Frozen Fangs
"What would you like me to do with this opportunity," Erkembalt asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the contents of the box to look at Ashlynn and Nyrielle. When he called it rare, he wasn’t just speaking about the materials. A chance to work directly for an Eldritch Lady and her most precious servant would afford him layers of protection that couldn’t be bought with money.
"A Vampire and her Seneschal," he mused, his bushy tail puffing up with excitement as he offered his first idea. "Do the two of you desire matching weapons? The horns are very distinct from each other but even if their capabilities diverge, I can ensure they look like a graceful and elegant pair meant to be carried by each of you."
"They would be like a pair of frozen fangs," he said eagerly. Shoving aside the books on his counter he snatched a slate from underneath the books and pulled a piece of chalk from one of his many pockets before beginning to sketch two elegantly curved blades that were clearly inspired by the fangs of a vampire.
"Originally, I had intended for one of them to be used by my darling Ashlynn," Nyrielle said as she watched the man excitedly sketching. "The other, I thought she might choose to give to a friend of hers who remains in the Vale of Mists. After all, a darksteel fighting knife may be a bit of a stretch for young Ollie, but something like this could give him an edge like no other," she said, giving Ashlynn a knowing look.
"You thought of Ollie at a time like this?" Ashlynn said, raising an eyebrow in genuine surprise. Even she hadn’t considered using these horns to make something for the friend she’d made in the kitchens of the Summer Villa but once Nyrielle said it, it was hard to refute her thinking.
"Ollie is important to you," Nyrielle said, running her alabaster fingers gently through Ashlynn’s pale blonde hair. "You have so few people like him that represent a connection to your life outside of Eldritch lands. So of course, I think of ways to strengthen the people you care about."
"That’s why," Nyrielle said, cupping Ashlynn’s face gently as if there wasn’t anyone else in the room. "If these horns don’t resonate with you, since you’ve declared Heila to be your lady-in-waiting, I thought you might want to use one for her as well."
"Lady Nyrielle," Heila said, quickly dropping into a deep curtsey. "I, I’m not worthy of such an extravagant gift." She already felt that her elevation was something that she didn’t fully deserve. How could she possibly accept something so extravagant without doing anything to earn it?
"No, you are," Ashlynn said, her eyes shining as she looked at her lover’s smiling face. "And Mistress Nyrielle is right to suggest something like this for you," she said, turning away from Nyrielle to look at her diminutive friend.