Chapter 5

The first thing I noticed when I stepped into his office was the absence of light. It was totally dark, with heavy drapes over the windows. The second thing I noticed was a low table, which hit me right across the shins.

"Hey!" I yelled, startled. Warriors aren't usually bothered by the dark, sometimes we even have to keep fighting, even after having Blind spells thrown at us. Still, I quickly drew my Flamefang sword, which cast just enough light from its glowing blade to let me make out the shattered remains of a low table. Somehow it was comforting to know that even without armor I was tougher than kitchen spoons and coffee tables.

"Lord Gareth, I presume?" A small man dressed in black sat behind a huge desk, "Your reputation precedes you."

Was that a touch of sarcasm?

I saw some unlit candles in their sconces along the wall, so I touched the tip of my sword to their wicks, and we were soon bathed in soft candlelight.

"Why thank you! That sword comes in mighty handy! I was just going to have my secretary come in and light them," He said, shuffling the papers he had been working on (in the dark?) into one neat pile. "She must have sent you in early; I wasn't quite finished with my nap."