"Did you know this is private property?"
My voice cut through the air like a sharp blade, filled with an irritation I didn't bother to hide, especially since Lina and Gineviv were standing right by the entrance, and they froze in place when they heard my voice.
I looked away to Gineviv. I made a small nod for her to find cover. She understood right away, pulling Lina behind Zannen.
Lurya stayed still. Barely blinked. Just those sharp, calculating golden eyes, analyzing me like a hunter watches their prey.
Lut'hner, who noticed Gineviv's movement, stepped forward and said.
"We are not here to hurt anyone, Miss Gineviv. We just want to talk to Mr. Duncan."
Zannen gripped the hilt of his sword. His fur stood up, his face bared his teeth, ready to react. His voice came out with a low growl.
"You have no authority on the Queen's lands. You can't just show up and do as you please."
He had transformed, no longer the little Zannen, but now the Corporal of the Queen's army. His voice was firm. Not arrogant, but protective.
Good boy.
"Please," He continued, maintaining her composure. "Return to the inn. As Mr. Duncan said, this is private property."
Lurya sighed, as if she were tired and this was just a nuisance.
"I would really like to resolve this peacefully… but we don't have time."
Her words were calm, but her presence said otherwise. She was clearly nervous, judging by the way she shifted her feet at extremely short intervals.
Lut'hner frowned and gripped the hilt of his sword.
This was getting bad.
I could see that Gineviv stiffened at the gesture.
Zannen noticed Lut'hner's hand on the blade too and stepped forward, eyes sharp, body ready.
"Take your hand off the sword."
Tension filled the air. One second. Two. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.
"Tsk." I clicked my tongue and crossed my arms, breaking the moment.
"Why are you fulneri (an offensive way of referring to elves, as if they were a disgusting race of elves) always like this?" My voice came out slurred, heavy with fatigue.
Lut'hner looked at me with an angry gaze.
"What do you mean?"
I pointed at his sword with my chin.
"If you wanted a conversation, why come here? And with your claws out?"
Zannen was growing increasingly impatient with the situation. His gaze shifted from me to Lut'hner, and his hand seemed to twitch on the hilt of his sword.
Lurya, on the other hand... seemed increasingly impatient.
"We were waiting for you in the hall, but since you didn't show up, we came to look for you. We're in a hurry, it's urgent..."
I narrowed my eyes and gave her a warning look.
"I'm sure it is, but you're being rude, Miss Lurya."
A slight smile curved the elf's lips.
"And are you a gracious man, Mr. Duncan?"
She was playing games. I took a deep breath, trying not to lose my composure.
Don't bite the bait.
My eyes slid to Zannen. He was still ready to attack. Then to Gineviv and then to Lina and... how tense their eyes were.
"...kill them all..."
Damn. My head was starting to hurt, and an annoying buzzing was coming from deep inside my head.
I needed to end this before it got worse. So I did the only thing left for me to do in that situation.
"...kill them all..."
I hit my head lightly and let out a long sigh, then brought my hand to my left waist, and where a few seconds ago there had been nothing, now there was a sword wrapped in dirty bands.
If you want answers... you got 'em.
I raised the blade, lifting it so they could see it clearly.
The dark inscriptions on the fabric glowed, pulsing slightly in response to my touch.
"I believe this is the sword you are looking for."
Lurya's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw it. Lut'hner, on the other hand, frowned even more.
"If you already had the sword, if this is the sword, why did you refuse to speak before?"
I ran my finger along the hilt, feeling the latent magic, the spells encrusted there for centuries.
The answer was simple.
"Firstly, because I didn't want to put them in danger," I pointed to the family in the corner. "Secondly, because it is sealed."
Lurya narrowed his eyes but didn't seem surprised.
"Sealed?"
"And not only that..." I turned the blade slightly, letting it catch the sunlight.
The stripes glowed brighter, the runes seeming to writhe as if it was alive.
"It... is connected to me."
Lina and Zannen exchanged confused glances.
But the elves and Gineviv... they understood perfectly. I didn't reveal much to Gineviv. My age, for example, was still a mystery to her, even though we had known each other for over 20 years and I hadn't changed at all since then... But we had developed something like intimacy, enough for me to reveal some things about my past to her.
And one of them was the sword in my hands.
Lurya looked from the sword to me, her expression gradually becoming somber.
"Bound... to you?"
A heavy silence fell over the training ground. Items that are bound to someone cannot be wielded effectively by anyone other than the bearer of the bond. And depending on the item, it can even be deadly. The only way to break the bond is to destroy the object... or be killed.
In a fraction of a second, Lurya and Lut'hner exchanged quick glances, almost like a silent conversation where they exchanged information and commands.
Then suddenly... Lut'hner drew his sword and advanced.
Zannen reacted instantly.
"HEY!"
The steel of the swords clanged as the blades touched. Lina shouted something, but her voice was lost in the wind.
For a brief moment, I could see in Lurya's face that she didn't want to be doing this, but she was doing it anyway...
Perhaps all of this was something much bigger than it appeared to be. However, regardless of what is at stake, I confess that I don't give a damn about these big-eared creatures.