"Nadra Olear?" gasped Neve, her voice clearly reverent. "Nadra Olear is the only person that has ever left the Silent Legion alive. She is a legend among all drew. She is your mother? I don't believe you, prove it."
Asher lifted the amulet from within his furs.
Neve could hardly contain her excitement while saying, "You were being serious. That is Nadra's badge of office. Do you know who she was?"
Asher looked Never in the eyes as he calmly replied. "She was my mother. Little else mattered. Will you tell me what you know?"
Never bubbled with excitement as she began to share a bit of drew history. "To understand who Nadra Olear was, you have to understand what the Silent Legion are. Long ago the drew found themselves and nearly all life in the lightless realms on the brink of self-destruction. We were constantly at war with one another, families attacking each other, cities wiped completely out, with barely a stone left to show they had ever existed.
Life was complete and utter anarchy, and the drew were ecstatic. Blood was spilt constantly, drew and slave alike. All the lifeless realms were in a state of turmoil. The drew were in a constant state of ecstasy, power shifted daily from one family to another.
Life seemed good, until Nadra Olear realized that entire populations were disappearing at an unsustainable rate. Dowager Quethal Baenr had begun to use the turmoil and wars to mask her expansion. She had begun to conquer settlement after settlement, enslaving or eradicating the populace of every city she ventured to.
Nadra began to investigate the disappearances and realized what Quethal was doing.
With the aid of the grand wizard Phauran and House Olear's smiths, she founded the Silent Legion, and enchanted all her troop's weapons and armor with enchantments to silence the movements of both person and weapon as well as many protection enchantments from physical and magical attacks.
Nadra and her newly formed Silent Legion ventured into Quethal's territory masterfully sneaking by each guard as they moved toward Quethal's palace.
Upon arrival at the palace, they assassinated Quethal and her generals, leaving a note swiftly stuck to Quethal's chest via a Silent Legion Dagger.
No one knows the exact contents of the letter, yet it sparked a new world order for the drew. The Silent Legion became the law of the land. The drew would still be the drew, but if any threatened the safety of the entire population or began to enslave more drew than the bylaws allow, they were assassinated. None could stand up to them, as the enchantments on their armor made them nearly invincible.
Nadra again realized the danger that would pose. She sent Phauran to House Baenfall and began the creation of the White Walkers. The daggers they possess are the only thing that can neutralize the enchantments on Silent Legion armor.
The White Walkers and the Silent Legion form a sort of check and balance system to ensure that no one individual gains enough power to threaten the drew.
Your mom is a legend.
Hell with that amulet around your neck, the Silent Legion might allow me to wear the armor, considering it as Nadra's blessing."
Asher contemplated Neve's words for a very long time before he found the use of words again. Nadra had been his mother. Not some legend from history. "Do you want to wear the clothes, or would you rather go naked?" He quietly uttered.
Neve tried to hide her excitement as she replied. "Its worth the risk of death to be part of Nadra's legend, if only for a day. I don't have the strength to put it on though Asher. Can you help me?"
Neve dropped the hide and Asher began to dress her in his mother's armor. While the armor was a bit too large, overall, it fit rather well.
Neve lay back down on the bed, that small amount of movement had exhausted her, she had truly been bound to one bed or another for quite some time and her bodies muscles had greatly deteriorated.
Asher covered her with the hide and lay upon the floor. Both quietly finding the embrace of slumber.
Pharod returned the following morning to take Asher to the training grounds.
Asher continued to best Pharod's trainers. Each day for the next 6 months.
Each day when his training completed, he would return to his room and work with Neve, aiding her in recovering her bodies fortitude and muscle tone.
Each day, Neve grew more grateful to Asher. She began to teach him about civilization, money, people.
In turn, Asher began to teach Neve the fighting skills his mother had taught him. The two began to form a true friendship.
As Asher continued to best the best of Pharod's weapons masters he would have been astonished had he not recognized the insignia and enchantments on Asher's longsword and mace.
Clearly Asher had trained with a member of the Silent Legion. Pharod found this fact disturbing. If Asher were to go into the arena with those weapons, none would dare to challenge him, and worse, the Silent Legion would be forced to get involved.
That would be disastrous for Pharod and could potentially lead to his demise. Pharod became more concerned by the day.
After six months, he finally alighted on an idea. He went to Asher and requested that he accompany him to the smithy.
Asher had never seen a smithy. The prospect of venturing there intrigued him. He quickly agreed.
Pharod smiled as they arrived at the smithy. "Asher your weapons are far to small for you to use in the arena. They look like toys in your hands. I would hate for you to be laughed at and humiliated. Why don't you choose a new weapon for each hand? My treat." Pain could be heard in Pharod's voice as he uttered the last two words.
Asher smiled as he began to examine the weapons. There were weapons of all shapes and sizes.
As he examined the weapons, Asher's eyes lit up as he grabbed two daggers that were sized for a gnome. They were a mere 10 cm (4 in) long.
Pharod smacked himself in the face as he shook his head in disagreement.
Asher laughed as he made his way over to the dwarven war-axes. They were masterfully crafted, their craftsmanship every bit as good as that of his longsword and mace, though admittedly lacking their enchantments.
Asher lifted one after another, carefully examining the eight that were present before selecting the two best of them.
Pharod groaned inwardly. Those two weapons were worth more than the entirety of Asher's tab to date.
Asher next retrieved two sheathes and placed the axes upon his back. His longsword and mace remained on his sides. "Thank you for the donation. I do need some larger weapons. Speaking of needs, Neve needs some new clothing. You forgot to have any sent for her, and conveniently have avoided discussing her each time I have brought her up. Why don't we next gather her some garments?"
Neve had taught Asher well. She was quite content remaining in Nadra's armor and had discouraged Asher from mentioning clothing to Pharod until the opportune moment. Asher felt this was it.
Pharod groaned inwardly as he responded. "Her clothing is here somewhere; I will have it washed and brought along to her shortly. Do you tire of looking at her undressed?"
Asher laughed as he spoke. "She has been dressed and freed since the moment I entered my bedchambers. She is dressed far better than I am."
Pharod appeared baffled by Asher's statement. He knew there had been no clothing for a woman within his chambers, and he knew Neve could not possibly fit in Asher's clothing.
Against his better judgement Pharod allowed his curiosity to overtake him as he replied, "Wherever did you find her clothing?"
With a glint in his eye, Asher responded. "She wears my mothers clothing and armor. I couldn't have such a delicate creature unprotected. I may gift her mothers' weapons as well. Now that I have these wonderful axes, I doubt I will have need of that longsword and mace. Then again, I have never been big on the short sword and dagger. Reckon I may give her those as well."
Pharod was taken aback. He had never imagined that Asher possessed a full suit of Silent Legion armor and armaments. Nor would he ever in a million years think that anyone would be so dumb as to arm their slave. He began stuttering to himself as his frown grew.
Asher laughed again as he admired Pharod's discomfort. "Pharod, have I done something wrong? You did add her cost to my tab, and if she is to be mine, I can't allow her to be defenseless, why I have even begun to train her in the style of combat that my mother trained me to."
Pharod became completely speechless as he escorted Asher back to his room.
At the door to his room, Asher could not help but poke Pharod one more time. "Don't forget to wash Neve's clothing before you send it. She will need her spell books, jewelry, and staff as well. If it isn't returned, we will have to pay you a visit."
When he finished, Asher opened the door and returned to Neve. She had educated him on a great many things. The least of which was the nature of Pharod's character.
Asher doubted Pharod would be able to sleep for a long time. With a set of Silent Legion gear, he would never hear Neve coming should she desire revenge upon him.
Pharod began to regret his decision to sell Neve to Asher. At the time he had thought he turned a great profit. Now he had lost far more than her value, and he found himself questioning his safety among his own palaces.
Once inside Asher walked over to Neve and informed her of his discussion with Pharod. She fainted in astonishment at the prospect of her things returning to her, and again when Asher held out the sheathes for the Silent Legion weapons.
Neve carefully equipped each of them on her body. Slowly pulling out and examining them one by one.
Asher beamed from ear to ear like a child in seeing her excitement. The two had grown quite close in their months together.
The next day Pharod came to Asher's chambers seeking entrance.
Asher allowed him to enter and escorted him to the living room. Pharod became more agitated when he saw Neve sitting on the couch in the living room wearing the full Silent Legion armament and chain mail.
Pharod regained his composure as he spoke, "Asher I have allowed you to train and rest here for the last six months. A great tournament is being held nearby, and it is time you begin to repay me. I have pulled some strings, bribed some officials, and have managed to get you in a tournament with a title fight at the end. Win this and you will become the champion of the arena at Drowmere. Now it is just a goblin settlement, but it will allow you to challenge some of the larger arenas.
It is one of the five tournaments I have carefully selected that will allow you to pay off your tab and begin to show a profit."
Neve spoke before Asher could even understand what Pharod had said. "Now Pharod, you wouldn't be swindling poor Asher here, would you? A title bout even in Drowmere would be far more than little old me is worth. By my calculations, even with the living arrangements that you have provided here at your palace his tab should be paid off by the second match if you only take the gold. The items in the winner's pot should then belong to Asher, correct? After all, by your own admission he is no slave. He is a free man."