MAGICAL WEAPONS BE LIKE THIS

Sabre was very well trained for treasure selection. She quietly made her way through all 20 items.

Like I'd imagine a small kid would just pick the first thing that caught her fancy, but Sabre examined every item systematically before deciding.

I thought this would be a fun game for her, but she was taking it like an exam.

It took close to 45 minutes before she brought her first item back to us.

This was also the first time she picked up an item with her own hand. From where we stood, it looked like a jeweled stick. Once the treasure was in her hand, she beelined back to me.

When I was able to look at it more closely l, I realized I was holding a small flute of some sort.

"For Bell." The child said, and then she stood there and waited.

I looked at the bejeweled flute in my hand. It was shorter than a regular flute, but had a mouth piece and holes for fingering and smelled like old magic. I think Sabre must have picked something very magical. Alpha Solomon's dismay quite confirmed it.

I wanted to pat Sabre on the head for the job well done, but she had flinched when I raised my hand towards her so I just sat down on the floor, "Okay. Thanks."

A warrior brought the flute's case with all its accessories over to us. Ben received it for me since I was seated on the floor.

"This…" Alpha Solomon sighed, "This is s stroke of luck for you isn't it?"

I handed the flute to Ben to put into the case. Ben did and then handed the case over to Bell.

"What is this?" Bell asked.

"It is a flute and also a weapon." Alpha Solomon said, "One of the most marvelous treasures in our vault. It makes a beautiful sound."

"How is it a weapon?" Bell picked up the flute to study it.

Alpha Solomon smiled wryly, "It would be useless out here in the plains, but we had experts study the lycan script engraved in its casing - ancient stuff, we are quite sure it describes the flute's abilities…"

"Killing intent is a beautiful song." Fluffy our own resident "expert" translated on the spot, "And one can stop the heart without a sound. What a pretty poem."

Bell smiled his beautiful smile, "Did it not occur to you that those verses were metaphorical?"

"Well… I…" Alpha Solomon really did look like this possibility had just occurred to him, "Well the experts said…"

Bell shook his head, "Hn."

I decided to praise Sabre a lot no matter what she brought, "That's a thoughtful pick, Sabre. Bell really likes to play music. Maybe he can learn to play the flute…"

"I KNOW how to play the flute." Bell corrected me.

Show off.

"Okay, now get me something pretty too!" I told the girl, "Anything is fine. If you can't find a weapon, then just something pretty to wear."

Sabre was standing taller than me when I was seated. She nodded, her expression still severely serious.

"Chill Sabre." I leaned back, "It's just a game. Anything is fine. Pretend it's a free shopping trip."

For some reason, Sabre's eyes brightened at the words, "shopping trip." It was just for a microsecond, so quick I could've imagined it.

And then she nodded and weaved through the tables of treasure. She returned with the second treasure almost immediately. This time she brought what looked like five bronze rings.

I opened my hand and she dropped them into my palm.

"Oh, is this for me?" At this point, I had decided to pretend that I didn't notice Sabre was in slave mode. Sabre was Sabre, and I was going to act like I always did when we were together, "Cool. What is it?"

Sabre didn't smile, but she did shrug and speak, "It was pretty. The man said you can wear them for arrows. You shoot arrows, right?"

"Right." I nodded, but I had no idea what a few rings had to do with archery, but right.

For some reason, the treasure that Sabre brought back piqued Wolfgang's interest. He came over for a closer look.

I waved him to come down to the ground because I didn't want too many tall men crowding around Sabre. (So far, Ben was the only one standing behind me. The others were standing around on either side of me.)

Wolfgang obliged and knelt next to me… which made me take a double take because Wolfgang knelt like a blond knight in a fairy tale. If I had been a delicate maiden collapsed on the ground, it would have made quite a knight-to-the-rescue scene. Hahaha.

But I wasn't the delicate maiden type, plus I was rocking denim jeans and white sneakers. I handed him the five rings.

"They are finger tabs for archery." Wolfgang informed me even as he examined them in the palm of his hand, "How apt."

"Pardon, princess." He took my hand to put the rings on. The broad one on my thumb, one with the red stone on my index finger, the next two rings were actually joined together. They fitted on my third and fourth finger. And the last ring was a pattern of a twisted rope. He placed that over my pinkie.

"They're a little large." Wolfgang noted.

And then he suddenly coughed into his hand. Blood!

"Bell!" I was back up on my feet. Stoopid Mate!

"What is it, princess?" Bell smirked, "Did something happen?"

Grrr…

"Looks like Sir Wolfgang is not in good health." Bell noted mildly as Wolfgang clutched his chest and coughed out more blood.

It looked like it hurt and I was a little more than upset.

"Don't just stand there, dog." Ben instructed.

"Ah, apologies." Ki moved forward to help.

I glared at Bell, but what could I say in front of Alpha Solomon and Trevor? I didn't think they were supposed to know Bell was the Death God that had been rampaging the continent earlier this year.

"Oh dear." Alpha Solomon worried, "I hope that treasure wasn't cursed."

Wait, what?

When Barry and Ki had carried Wolfgang out (more to remove him from the immediate threat of Bell than anything else), Alpha Solomon admitted, "What you're wearing is only the accessory of a mysterious artifact."

A warrior brought over a large case.

"You mean, you haven't identified the item yet, right?" Ben asked.

"Well…" Alpha Solomon sounded a little offended, but he explained, "It's not for the lack of trying young beta."

I looked into the case Ben received on my behalf, "It's a bow."

A very old bow - made of what looked like bronze.

"Quite right." Alpha Solomon was good enough to give us the low down. It would have been a priceless treasure. The magic quotient in it was high and the arch of the bow and finger rings were beautifully crafted. There was only one problem - the bow had no bow string or string nock to install one.

"It was very puzzling." Alpha Solomon shrugged, "Perhaps it was used more as a prop than an actual weapon."

Okay…

But I felt very sure no one would imbue so much magic into a stage prop. The entire bow gleamed under it's dark brass sheen, almost as if it was calling my name. I looked at the five rings on my fingers. I wished I could ask Wolfgang more about what he knew.

Wolfgang had recognized these rings. Did they use them in the Snow Moon Kingdom or had Wolfgang read about them? They were not the usual leather finger guards my senior at the archery club used.

These rings, Wolfgang had put them on so that the patterned part of the thumb ring was facing inwards. The other rings didn't go all the way through my fingers - they were worn like tabs, just above my knuckles, and there was a magnetic thing between the third and fourth ring so that they would clip together when they touched. It was made for a bow hold. Only my pinkie ring was worn like a normal ring. Maybe that was just for aesthetics.

But the point was, these rings were not something you randomly put over your fingers. They had to be worn just so, because if I tapped my thumb to my forefingers, I could feel the metal melt - I don't know how to explain the sensation, it was like warm liquid metal so I could feel through it where the bowstring and arrow should meet.

Magic.

"Okay." I nodded, clenching my ringed hand and hoping Alpha Solomon had not noticed the very workable magic in the item we just picked.

I mean, he was so dismayed earlier when we picked the flute, his relief now that we picked this bow was palpable… I didn't want to spoil it for him. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

"I like it so much!" I sat back down on the floor in front of Sabre and clapped my hands for the little girl.

Sabre actually nodded her agreement, and then she pointed the engraving on the palm side of the rings, "It's even prettier now that you're wearing it like that."

Oh, it wasn't just the thumb ring, the other three rings now had some kind of pattern too. They had also readjusted in size and not fitted my fingers like a glove. I quickly closed my hand and put it down again.

Alpha Solomon didn't seem to have noticed. His mood was buoyant, "Go on, little girl. Go pick one more."

"This one is for you. So pick the prettiest thing you like." I leaned back on the ground, sticking both legs out in front of me to stretch.

"For me?" Sabre asked. She sounded surprised, but I guess slaves didn't expect presents.

"Yes. It's a present for you." I told her, "But you'll only get it when you get mated. You'll have to stay with us till you're old enough first."

Like until she's 45 if Dad had his way.

"Oh, I know what I need!" Sabre spun around and took off.

As if a 6 year old would know what she needed for a mating gift! But I couldn't help but grin at her departing back, my little sister was somewhat back to her usual self.

I tossed my head back and grinned at my parents, "What do you think she'll pick?"