>>5353685>>5353689>18 for youThe process, the thrumming throat-song, and the sinister satisfaction which comes from corrupting this stalwart mammal to your way of thinking, they al conspire to open the way for you. You practice your swordplay as the dwarf sings for you, and periodically you experiment with channeling magical energy through it. Speaking the dark elven words for moon, shine, glow—there are several variations you experiment with—enable you to generate the slicing wave of light which you created before, but also piercing beams, as well as to make your moon-blade glow or dim to darkness upon command. The intensity of the cry and the amount of mana poured into the effort seems to correspond to the strength of the effect, and more than that, the musicality and tone of your voice seems to be important—a deficiency which the Throat-singer’s vibrato makes up for.
You sense that there is more to learn, but you grow weary, and turn to Karz’s instruction after a time.
>1 for KarzThis proves… Less fruitful. The industrious dwarven spirit and the Throat-singer’s hot blood and musical spirit are not well-given to lessons of stillness and a deliberately-empty mind and heart. You suspect that your ‘conversion’ of the dwarf yet weighs heavily on his heart and leads him to distraction, as he reconciles his new perspective.
“You’ll never be sstrong enough to sstab me in the back at thiss rate,” you chide him.
“If I stab you,” you grumbles with a glare, “it’ll be in your smarmy lizard face, dragon-man.”
“That’sss the sspirit,” you say, “but watch your tone. I am your Dragon King… Apprentice.”
Karz winces and a little, and cannot hide his continued personal distaste for you… But he nods.
“I’m sorry… Uh… Sire?”
You rise to stand, and Karz scrambles back out of sword-reach. You rewrap your blade, and he calms himself. His expression turns to curiosity once more as you rummage about in your belongings, and then produce…
>A divination scroll>A tome on superficial biological manipulation>The dwarven axe, magical properties yet unknown>The demon ring>An empty journal—you’ll gift him no aids in this pursuit>Write-in[Cont.]
