The Tower: Book One of the Legend of the Artificer

Chapter 7

By all intents and purposes, he was minding his business when he came. After a hard training session and a nice shower, he was finally lounging in his bedroom in nothing but a robe, laid out on the floor with a book in hand and a tray of snacks to the side as he read up on elemental enchantments. His hair was freshly washed and soaking in the oil treatment, and he was really quite busy when there was a scuff outside of his balcony, and then a huff of exertion.

"Hello?" someone called, and his head jerked up as his hand flexed to land a revolver right into his grip.

"What the fuck," he hissed, just as there was another scuff and then two hands on his banister. A head popped up with a shock of curly, dark hair, and then brown skin followed, and suddenly there was a human man sitting on the banister of his damn balcony.

"... You definitely don't look like an eldar countess," the man blurted, and he squinted at him.

He was tall, much taller than him. Dressed in darker colors, with a mustard yellow sash on his hip and a trim cut leather armor vest in a rich brown, a pauldron on one shoulder, and an incredibly large sword peeking out over the other. Loose black pants tucked into tall boots, vambraces and gloves with brass plating on the knuckles, a large knife strapped to his thigh, he was definitely someone that fought, and fought regularly. Soft brown puppy dog eyes and heavy brows, a broad nose and an unfairly chiseled jaw, clearly packing muscle under his armor, and he had to stop and stare for a moment.

"No, I'm not an eldar countess," he snapped and sat up, leveling his pistol on him. "Why are you sneaking into my bedroom?"

"I wasn't sneaking, I announced myself!" the man protested as he considered blasting the banister he was sitting on just to make a point. "I tried knocking on the door, but---"

"It doesn't open," he said flatly and glared at him. "At least, not from the inside."

"... So that was a curse," the man said thoughtfully, and he stood up.

"You climbed up an entire tower just because someone didn't answer the door?"

"I'm looking for a missing countess that got stuck in a trap tower when the storm hit, and this tower is the only one out here for miles, so excuse me for getting the wrong one," the man snapped, and then looked around. "Wait, are you trapped in this tower?"

"Yes," he said with as little intonation as he could muster to let him know exactly how he felt about strange men climbing onto his balcony, and the man blinked.

"Do you need help?"

"No," he replied flatly, because he apparently wasn't getting it.

"Are you sure? I'm a curse breaker, I can get you out." Oh, of course he was a curse breaker. That was why the sword was humming weirdly and so damn big. "I'm sure someone is missing you."

"No one is missing me," he snapped. "And I can break the enchantment myself, thank you very much. I don't need some big lout smashing up my door with a sword trying to play the hero."

"I don't play the hero, I'm an adventurer!" the man protested. "Guild certified!"

"That's lovely for you, but no, I don't need help, and there's no rewards for getting me out of here, either. Or for breaking into my bedroom."

"I'm not in your bedroom; I'm on your balcony," the man retorted, looking a little frustrated. His brow furrowed cutely and he slung his leg over so he was no longer straddling the banister. "Do you have a name?"

He stopped, his brain descending into white fuzz, because...

Because it had been over a year, and he hadn't thought to pick one.