Alrik considered cancelling his planned return to his family for a few days, just so he could stay by Eliza's side till she feels more secure, but she quickly shut down that thought when he mentioned it.
"I'll be fine. I just need to sleep off the anxiety, plus, I'm sure you'll increase my security now. And remember I'm supposed to meet your most trusted today. I don't want them to start having negative impressions of me just because of one incident." She said as they got back home.
"They won't think less of you for wanting to reschedule dinner after being shot up. We're all ex-military, but none of us are used to being shot at as well, since the battle at the front lines uses swords, and arrows, not bullets."Alrik said, and she smiled.
"You know, I've always wondered why we don't use guns against the portal creatures. My family has never really been interested in the war since we're too far inland to be affected. And the military is always more secretive instead of sharing valuable information that could make the citizens more aware. We should not be taking our safety for granted."
"I agree that some more information should be shared, but I also think the lack of information is not done out of spite or control. Just wrong judgement. The more people are aware of the dangers faced at the battle front, the less people would sign up for war camps. And it would also cause mass panic, and anxiety among citizens if all the details were truly shared. Most civilians don't even know what the beasts look like, and the army prides itself on the fact that all battles were won successfully to achieve that. It's all a matter of perspective I guess."He replied.
"You're right. But a little more information still won't hurt. So why not use bullets? I know that only Anamite swords, and Anamite tipped arrows can harm the beasts. But won't bullets have more accuracy? And reduce casualties since they have a longer range than arrows?"She asked as they stripped and headed to the bathroom.
He prepared the tub while she twisted her hair in a high bun, because she didn't want to wash it till morning.
"Well, it has been attempted severally, but Anamite just doesn't do well as a high velocity projectile. To make swords, Anamite is tempered till it's more dense, and to make arrows, it's less thicker. But for bullets, it's hard to find a balance. Too dense, and the bullets won't fire at all, and too light, they shatter as soon as they're fired. And the bullets that ended up successful during the testing stage, it was discovered that they don't harm the beasts much because they don't get the chance to penetrate deep enough."
"Why is that? Bullets penetrate human skin just fine. If you hadn't pulled me down, there would be a bullet hole in my head." She joked and he frowned.
"That's not something I want to even think about. But to answer your question, Anamite begins to dissolve on impact with the beasts. That's why the swords are made so dense so they don't wear out on impact, and why they need to be constantly reforged. For arrows, that problem is solved because the anamite isn't just embedded at the tip, more than half of the arrow length is made of anamite, so before it gets the chance to dissolve completely, the rest of the arrow pierces the wound. Experiments are still being done though. Guns might make a difference in the war, but closing the portals completely would be the best."
"Is that even a possibility?" She asked as they both got into the tub and she leaned on him. Ïf the portals could be closed off completely, wouldn't a solution have been found by now?"
"Not even I know that. It's the best kept secret that only very few are allowed access to. The rest of us can only hope and wait."
"Will they think less of me if I wear a robe to dinner? These robes are so fluffy and soft. It's more comforting to me than clothes right now." Eliza said when they were done in the tub and he chuckled.
"They won't care. I already told you that. You can do no wrong in their eyes. They know that I'm only alive and healthy because of you. Besides, you've met some of them already when you were fully dressed. And just so you don't feel awkward, I'll also wear a robe to dinner, but we still need to wear PJ's underneath so we don't mistakenly flash them during dinner."
"Have I told you that I love you today?" She asked and he kissed her forehead.
Everyone else was already seated when Alrik and Eliza arrived. "Oh, Ms Gaya."
Gaya smiled at Eliza's surprise. "No need to be so formal. First names are fine. I'm guessing he didn't tell you I'd be here."
"No. But he did mention that I've already met some of you. Hello Bruno, Ren."
"Hi Eliza." "Hello." They both responded to her.
"The rest of them are Mira, Ansa, and Kellan." Alrik completed the introductions and they all greeted Elisa warmly.
"Your circle is even. Three males, three females. Was that planned?" She asked Alrik, and he shook his head.
"Actually there were four males. We lost Dagon on the battlefield shortly before Alrik went missing." Gaya said, and Eliza's smile faltered.
"Sorry for bringing that up. My condolences."
"It's okay. You didn't know. I should have told you. But that's for another day. I'm starving, so let's have dinner." Alrik said and they all took their seats.
They ate, talked, laughed, shared stories, and soon it was time for them to leave.
"We understand your concern for his safety, and we are aware of the dangers. We've lost our leader once, and we have no plans to repeat history. So we all swear to make sure he has adequate back up while he infiltrates the Zerdon estate for information." Bruno promised Eliza.
"And the rest of us will watch out for you. Alrik has our loyalty, and we extend that to you because you're his most prized possession. We will all protect you with our lives." Gaya said and Eliza blushed.
"No need for extremes. I'm just glad he has you all, and I'm grateful he won't be alone. Have a nice night everyone."
They bid farewell, and left.
"When will your mission begin?" She asked as they moved to their bedroom.
"Tomorrow. I've decided to stop delaying. It's only a matter of time before news of me spreads one way or another. Better now that I'm still in control of the narrative."
"Do you think they'll really believe your act?"
"We'll just have to wait and see. I hope my acting skills are good enough to fool my family."