Lovely Dark Things

EIGHTEEN (RUBY POV)

"Home, sweet home," I think while walking down the dark and cold corridor following my precious human.

It's hailing softly, something unusual in Baalberith at this time of year, I guess we can blame the chaos getting closer for that but I don't care. I'm happy with bad weather and grateful because it was too hot on that damned island where light elves live. I missed this: the dim light, fresh and clean breeze, the dark fortress with its restrained elegance that contrasts with the flashy colours, the smell of fried food coming from the street market and the infernal noise that almost drove me crazy in Lothern. It's easier for me to protect Iselen here, in a place I know well and where I can hear my enemies coming.

It's also great to feel dry land under my feet far from the ocean. Dark elves have gained a reputation as great pirates but I admit I don't like ships very much, with their small cabins full of sailors ready to start a fight at the slightest provocation, because there's no escape in the middle of the sea. And in addition to that, now I have to worry about dangerous monsters. I still feel my heart racing when I remember the kraken, I've never felt so helpless in my entire life, my girl was going to die and I didn't know what to do. The advisor saved our asses but, strange as it may seem, that makes me feel proud instead of weak.

I watch Iselen climbing down the stairs ahead of me, moving with confidence through the dark fortress, always on alert when we turn a corner in the corridor in case an enemy is waiting for us, so different from the scared human who arrived to Baalberith long years ago. I smile happily, I've taught her well and she's been a good student, eager to learn in order to survive in my world. Now things have changed a little and I'm the student. I've learnt a lot about compasses and magnetic fields, firebombs and Greek fire, metal alloys to make swords and about ship designs, about that thing called yoga and meditation... and now I'm learning about black powder.

This human is a great manipulator and a liar... I adore her.

Dark elves believe they're very smart, usually. The Queen, my father, the ship builders and I myself, thought that Iselen was scared, willing to cooperate in exchange for a comfortable life, we believed she was telling us everything she knew, making every effort to create new weapons and improve or quality of life, cowed and stunned by our strength, our cruelty and power. But she lied to us, I lived with the advisor for years and never realized that she was giving us her knowledge in dribs and drabs and was keeping the most interesting information to herself, she always looked worried about her safety and was meeting the Queen often to tell her about a new plans and innovations. We didn't suspect anything...

We stayed up late last night, cuddling under the soft blankets, talking... And this time Iselen told me about what happens in her world, not the small things she knows I find shocking or funny, the little things that make me smile, but everything that's related to weapons of mass destruction.

"It all started with cannons that shot cannonballs thanks to black powder, they were very big, carried on ships or on wood wheels to be get to the battlefield. Later, we designed rifles and smaller weapons that we could carry hanging from our belt and people was able to kill each other but not getting close, guns became even smaller and rifles and canons shot even further, bombs killed dozens of soldiers at the same time and they also dispersed poisonous gases... More deaths, lot of them, while generals and kings stayed behind in their clean palaces, never risking their lives but commanding their troops as if they were not human beings, only pawns in a game..."

"It doesn't sound bad from a dark elven point of view..." I admit shrugging and she smiles sadly.

"You wouldn't exist in my world, Ruby Rose, we wouldn't need you. The way you fight is outdated and not very effective."