Pelori lay behind me, a few still lit windows visible across Nalan Pelo's broad bed of cracked mud. This night, Preasul's dull light, though a savior for half the now passed Crossing of the Shadow, failed to show those raised salt deposits in the gaps. I blessed the gods the worst I suffered being a stubbed toe.
Reaching Harridan's Cairn, as agreed, I paused. Oath or no, the one I came to speak with this night still held reason to slay me. Information he offered during the Crossing drew me, to seal the fates of the three slayers now sitting in the stockade. The magistrate felt satisfied of their guilt, but if they demanded trial by jury, I wanted more stones to bury them with.
The voice came soft, a contrast to my few earlier encounters with this one.
"Alone and on time." Several desert beasts scattered at the sound, despite the softness, knowing a predator, somehow. "You intrigue me further by honoring the agreement."
"Makes no sense to break my word. As you said in the Dunes, honor is all we have, in the end." I kept my voice light, hand away from Specula's hilt, and narrowed my lids to let my aura sight rise up to reveal him.
"Billenius, you called yourself. Baal-lu-Lil Ni-uushum, I name you." Even knowing my abilities, the measures the beast took fell short of hiding his aura from my third eye. Nimbus of death magic's purple swirled over the inner red flames his arrogance and hate fueled within that shell of metallic skin. Burning orange eyes lit the small islet of grass and stones, drifted with sands by that storm he fled during. "And still strong, despite denying the power within you. Few pierce that cloak of smoke and wind so swiftly."
I shrugged, raising the skin of wine in my right hand. "Less arrogance might dim your inner flames a bit. Fewer of the gods' creatures destroyed to fuel it and there might be little trace for me to seek."
"Gods. Again with those mortals who know not the Truths of this Realm." Metal grated on metal, the joints of the armor around him speaking the lack of care since his summoner's death. "But at least you bring somewhat to ease this trivial talk you wished."
"One you must desire, as well. Batulbel, or is there something else I should call you?" I tossed him the skin, then loosened my small pack, empty save a few other things I prayed to save my life, and garner me his better will. The metal mask twitched slowly as the pastries from (lost the inn's name!) came out, the teapot elicited a chuckle, and the tea a simple nod.
"That name shall do, for now. No water will douse my fires, this you know. I will accept these prizes as tokens of good faith." He partook the wine, flames dancing on the nozzle as he finished the skin swiftly. "Bribery. Not something I expect from so awesome an aura as your flesh burns with. One might think you thought I would not honor the agreement."
"No, just thought we could tary a bit. Sleep eludes me still, after the horrors I saw in the Dunes." Checking around a rock made him chuckle, so I explained myself. "Your honor, I trust, afreet. The honor of fire cobras is another matter."
"Bah. Lesser things that tasted good. None shall haunt this place for a while, I'd venture." Belching, he motioned me to sit. "Know their venom fails against such as me, born of the Greatest Fires."
"And that, Batulbel, is why I sought making this night one of comforts and discussion." Settling down, I asked carefully. "Would it be fair to say you honor the guesting codes of Domorushtuu?"
"One must honor that you instill in your followers, to show them none are above obeying such." He rumbled loudly. "I take no insult at that. It was a fair question, as you say you have little past experience or knowledge of the Flame Born."
"That such as you can be dominated and controlled by pacts intrigues me." Setting up the small tripod for the tea, my hands sought rocks to ring the fire, the grasses being very dry after so long without light to survive by. "That amulet Morlo created, truly it threatens such as you?"
"All of my kind, not just me." The lips, though partially motile, never parted with his words. Such things disturb one deeply, even knowing the being inside was one of spirit, not flesh. "How such as those crafted such bindings it holds still eludes me. I thought it beyond such ephemeral beings."
"They burn brief, but bright. At least from their auras." Reaching for a few pieces of wood, detritus carried here by some past visitor, I had a thought. "Could some enemy of your people or yourself known such?"
"Tragrilorm held such powers. As did a few others before him." The metal face turned to the faint hints of the Last Mountains, barely cresting the horizon this far north. "Perchance his heir holds tomes with that information. Or others found the older grimoires in some forgotten place."
"Domorushtuu holds many such places." I said. "But the heir of Tragrilorm you may rule out."
"You trust him." Those openings to his inner flame again blazed brgiht, fixing me under their light.
"Such would stand out amid his collection of alchemist and healing tomes. Though I admit, there may be other collections he kept hidden from me." Settling the wood, my face took on that odd twitch again, realizing the flint and steel sat on the table of my room.
Sensing something amiss, noting the wood remaining unlit, he chuckled. A deep resonant sound that I found strangely comforting. "Allow me."
Sparks flew from his fingers with a simple toss of his hand in the direction of my fire-pit. Each spot one touched, smoke rose in thin threads for a few breaths, then small flames erupted out, spreading swift into a comfortable blaze.
"My thanks." Hanging the tea pot, my hands dove into the pack, returning with two collapsible bronze cups for the tea, and something much more dangerous, still wrapped in cloth to protect my hand from it.
Metal popped and ground as my companion leaned in, interested. "You have it."
"Yes. One condition. It must be destroyed." Shrugging at his intense glare from behind the metal mask, I leaned back, relaxed, after setting it out for his inspection. "Not my rule, but the ruling of the local Dux here. She wishes this thing gone, before others of your kind are also bound by it."
After several fingers of sand fell the glass, he sighed, and leaned back. "Later this night we shall, together, destroy this foul artifact." His metal bound face turned up, to the stars. "Though, I fear, this night we will rue it being gone forever."
He kept silent as the stars moved two hands across the vault of the heavens.
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