“The Heart of Aer!”
The Impress Warriors looked at each other and then back at the dwarf.
“The what?” Drakis asked at last.
“The Heart of Aer!” Jugar said, this time with as much exaggerated drama as he could muster, his hands quivering as he held them out. He dropped them at once, seeing he did not impress his audience. “Oh, by Thel Gorfson! You’ve never heard of the Heart of Aer?”
“Who’s Thel Gorfson?” Thuri asked, rubbing his forehead.
Jugar only glared at him. “The Heart of Aer is only the greatest, most secret treasure of the Nine Thrones! You could have named your price and still not come close to its value!”
“Where is it,” Belag said flatly.
The dwarf kept his eyes on Drakis. “Do we have a deal-my life for the greatest treasure of the dwarves?”
The human considered the dwarf carefully.
“I’ll throw myself into the bargain as well,” the dwarf added. “Your master’s new slave, eh?”
Belag rumbled deep in his throat. “Beware, Drakis. Dwarves never give a gift without being paid for it first.”
Drakis flexed his grip on his sword.
Jugar swallowed then spoke carefully. “Maybe I could remember that song for you.”
The human raised his chin.
“Drakis,” Ethis said, shaking his head, “maybe we should just. .”
“You have a deal, dwarf,” Drakis said abruptly.
The other warriors of his Octian spoke up all at once.
“Are you mad? You don’t have the authority. .”
“You really believe that this fool, literally. .”
“The Tribune will never allow. .”
“Deal, dwarf!” Drakis repeated loudly, his voice cutting off further argument. “But if this is all part of your supposedly clever amusements, know that I’m a very picky audience-and that I’d just as soon take your heart to my master as any Heart of Aer. Now where is it?”
“You won’t regret this,” Jugar grinned as he reached out for the stairs, feeling about the surface for a moment before he found what he was searching for. “If you’re looking for a treasure to take home to your master’s fine estate in-didn’t you say you were from the Western Provinces? — and prove how great warriors you are, then you couldn’t do better than this!”