Armor

Chapter 2: An Oath and a Joke

I’d never left the dungeon before, and it took me a moment to adjust to the sunlight. I’d only ever experienced the light of torches or the arcane glow some sorcerers could summon for illumination. Sunlight felt different. It felt warm.

We hadn’t found much in the way of loot in the dungeon. A small pouch of gems, a smattering of coins, and some old equipment that I knew had belonged to the parties who’d explored the it before. My former master enjoyed the finer things, but his skill in conjuration meant he had no need to carry much wealth, and his raw power had made him feel that enchanted objects were beneath him. Still, in spite of the lack of loot, everyone was in high spirits.

We stood a short way from the dungeon’s entrance as Kyren climbed a nearby tree to recover the travel gear she’d hidden there earlier. The sight surprised me, but

"Exactly. It’s the kind of story that amuses drunks. That isn’t really a mark in its favor." She sighed. "I just realized that with Sevald travelling with us, Stone will have an excuse to tell all of his stories again…"

Her and Kyren’s expressions grew grave as Stone’s eyes started twinkling.

I bluffed my way through a bowl of rabbit stew by gently spooning it into my faceplate and absorbing it the way I had the people that had worn my armor. After that I took the first watch. I didn’t sleep or tire, so it made the most sense to me, and my companions were too tired to argue over it.

“Eating” had been interesting. I didn’t have a mouth, but I could taste the soup in the same way I could see without eyes, smell without a nose, and hear without ears. I could tell from the lives I’d absorbed that my senses were in some ways keener than theirs had been. I could sense things within a field around myself that let me tell what was going on behind me and even around corners. I could even taste the soup left in the pot if I focused hard enough.

It was going to take a while to get used to. I hadn’t ever explored what I was capable of before, as I’d never needed to. I’d only existed to follow my master’s script. This was the longest I’d ever even been conscious.

After two hours, I woke Hrig to let her take watch. I could’ve done it the entire time, but it was best to maintain the illusion that I slept. I lay there, listening to the sounds of owls, and each of my companions taking their turns at watch until I felt the sun start to shine down onto my armor.