Wings of Forgotten Warriors: Titans of War

Chapter IV

There was a sharp knock at the door. Lyle and Lyndall had spent the night in an inn, not too far from the Rusty Tankard tavern. Lyle was already dressed and ready, though Lyndall was still getting ready. He glanced out the window. It was still dark, and the sun had barely come out yet. He opened the door to see Aegis standing before him. She wore the same dark gambeson, but with hauberk over it. Chainmail shirts were commonly worn over padded armor, he knew. Gambeson was simply made of several layers of cloth. It was very flexible, and moved with the body, so it was difficult for a blade to pierce through. The hauberk added a bit of extra protection against things that had a better chance of slashing through the padded armor. Lyndall also noticed a helmet attached to the side of her belt. The metal would cover the majority of the head, revealing the lower part of the face with crescent shapes at the cheek to surround the eye, and a piece protruding down to cover the nose. Chainmail hung down its sides, which would cover her neck and shoulders, though it was concealed in the main part of the helmet so as not to rattle around when she walked.

"I didn't expect you to arrive so early." He announced.

"Before we meet this friend of yours, we'll meet up with a friend of mine." She replied. As they left, Aegis led them down through the streets. Not many people were out in the early hours, though they did still get a few strange looks from people passing by. She led them to a smaller building. Lyle didn't get to see the name of the establishment before he was ushered in. As they entered, they were immediately hit with a calming warmth and a pleasant smell, as if someone were baking. The walls were lined with shelves of books. Some looked shiny and new, while others looked as though they would crumble into dust at the slightest touch. As they entered, a series of light footsteps headed their way.

"Aegis!" A light and cheery voice called out. A young woman came racing over, enveloping the broad shouldered warrior in a hug. Aegis in return, simply gave her a pat on the back. Her eyes were a brilliant amber with flecks of gold. Her seemingly flawless skin matched the cup of rich dark coffee, which she nearly spilled all over as she ran over to them. A bright smile lit up her face. Her hair was long, streaming down her back and shoulders in graceful waves. They seemed to start at a dark, almost black color, growing into a lighter caramel color. She wore a light green dress that had the same effect, starting off lighter and growing darker as it reached the floor. It was fitted tightly around her torso, with a quick transition at the waist and flowing down to her ankles. The sleeves seemed to fade away into specks of green near her forearms, as if it were a part of her.

"It's good to see your Tam." Aegis greeted her before turning back to the siblings.

"This is Tamryn." She introduced. Tamryn gave a small wave. Lyndall noticed, along with the slight air of magic around her, her ears had a slight point to them.

"Would you like something to drink?" Tamryn offered, gesturing to one of the tables placed in between rows of shelves.

"No, thank you. We won't be here for long," Aegis replied, "where is Violet?"

"He's in the back translating some of the older books. Give me a moment." Tamryn skipped off, returning shortly with a taller figure following close behind. At first, Lyle thought his skin was a dull bronze color. However, it seemed this creature had no skin at all. Rather, their body seemed to be made up of wires and metal. It was a dull silver-bronze color, a bit weathered with age. It seemed as though their face plate had been previously damaged. The left side matched most of the rest of their form. A single glowing blue eye, with a thin rectangular gap for a mouth. The upper right side was replaced with a shimmering plate of platinum. Rather than an eye, there were three small dots, one in the center, one below and one above. The automation had a violet cloth draped over one shoulder, and another wrapped around the waist and hanging down like a scarf. A symbol was carved into his chestplate. It resembled a hammer hitting an anvil, surrounded by blazing flames.