Listen in on a conversation between Eriluc and Slade during watch, and find out what they discover when the night takes a sudden turn.
CW: violence, murder, interrogation, blood and suicide
Join Dax as she shares a story from the War of Seven Hells. This is the second in a series of short episodes that give a peek into what was going on hundreds of years before the show begins.
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Transcript by Dax
Upbeat piano intro ends [00:28]
Somber, tense music fades in [00:43]
Dax: The content of this episode is darker than usual, so please check the show’s notes for the appropriate content warnings so that you can enjoy your listening experience.
Slade turned to look out over the valley, watching the campfires dance like fireflies in the night. Though their existence was for a somber purpose, the lights held a certain beauty. Slade crouched low, their grey fur helping them to blend into the shadows as they set up for the watch. They’d only be in the valley for the night, but Slade wasn’t taking any chances. A gathering like this was bound to attract some attention.
Dax (as Slade): [slightly deeper pitch, raspy] I can hear you. You’re not as sneaky as you’d like to think…particularly with the armor.
Dax: Slade turned their head enough to look behind them, and saw Eriluc standing between the bushes.
Dax (as Eriluc): [slightly deeper pitch] Ah Slade, you never let me have any fun! You’re starting to turn into Garac.
Dax (as Slade): Hush! We’re supposed to be on watch, not announcing our location to the enemy’s spies!
Dax: The Dwarf heaved a small sigh and walked closer to the edge of the cliff. He peered out at the sight below and turned to look at his companion. Slade sat there, eyes on the move as they searched the darkness. Every now and then their eyes would catch the light of the moon above, giving them a haunting and otherworldly look. He sat down, doing his best to keep the armor from clinking too loudly.
Dax (as Eriluc): [slightly hushed tone] So, do you really think there will be trouble tonight? I didn’t see any indication we were being watched.
Dax: Slade sighed, and paused a moment before responding.
Dax (as Slade): [slightly hushed tone] Your job is to fight things, my job is to be the lookout. Why don’t you let me decide when we should worry, hm?
Dax: The pair sat for a while, listening to the night sounds of the forest behind them and the distant noises of the camp below. Eriluc reached into a bag at his hip and pulled out a small package. He undid the twine and pulled out a piece of smelly cheese, offering it to his companion. There might not have been much light but Slade’s disgust was easy to see. Eriluc chuckled before popping the morsel into his mouth.
Dax (as Eriluc): You know, we haven’t had good cheese like this in a while. I’m surprised you’d wrinkle your nose at it. Who knows when we’ll have another chance for food this good.
Dax (as Slade): You can’t smell it the same way I can. It’s disgusting. I won’t stop you from enjoying it but please keep it to yourself.
Dax: Eriluc finished the cheese and then folded the waxy packaging neatly before stowing it. Pulling out another package, he undid the string and gently offered it to Slade. This time, he could see Slade’s ears perk in excitement and watched as they happily selected a few morsels.
Dax (as Eriluc): Well, good to know you have a sweet tooth. I honestly wasn’t expecting that given how picky you are about anything else you’ve come into contact with.
Dax: Slade didn’t respond, but Eriluc smiled as he listened to them happily munching on the sugared dates. He took a few for himself before repackaging the rest and stowing them away too. The hours passed in silence, save for the call of an owl every so often. The noise of the distant camp eventually died down, fires going out one by one. At one point, Eriluc stood up and stretched his arms and legs, the leather and metal creaking as he did so.
Dax (as Slade): I really wish you’d be quiet. It’s hard to hear with you making all that noise.
Dax (as Eriluc): Look, you have to stretch! Crouching like that all shift is bad for your joints and your muscles, trust me. You should try it every once in a while, it’ll do ya good!
Music shifts to a tense, mysterious melody [04:47]
Dax: Slade rolled their eyes and then suddenly tensed, slowly holding up a finger at Eriluc. They quickly shifted their arm to point out into the distance. Eriluc gripped his sword and looked to where Slade pointed. He couldn’t see as well as they could in the dark, but his eyesight wasn’t as bad as the humans’. It only took him a moment to readjust before he could see it. Movement on the nearby cliffside. Without looking at Slade, he slunk off into the trees.
Dax (as Slade): Perhaps someone has come to play?
Dax: Slade scanned the area for further movement before turning and leaping into a nearby tree. They dashed off, hopping from branch to branch in an almost perfect silence. They quickly passed Eriluc, who was doing his best to keep his armor silent. That meant careful movements at the cost of speed. Slade chuckled quietly, as if laughing at an old joke. Soon they arrived at the edge of the wood, and looked out at the cliffside where they’d caught the movement. There, sitting by the tree line, were two Adar-Kai. Though they were dressed in black, and their ears and hair covered by hoods, Slade recognized the unmistakable and terrifying blades that sat at their hips. Imperial assassins. Slade slipped down from the tree, their claws making little noise as they scraped down the bark. Once they were on the lowest ledge they pounced.
Dax (as an assassin): [grunts]
Dax: The peace of the night was broken by the sound of claws ripping through flesh, blades scraping against armor and the cries of pain. Then there was silence. Even the birds and critters didn’t dare to break the stillness.
Dax (as Eriluc): So, assassin, who is the target?
Dax (as the assassin): [masc tone, British accent] Ugh. Why should I tell you, Dwarf?
Dax: Eriluc pushed the blade closer to the Elf’s throat and watched as a trickle of blood dripped down, bright against the grey skin of their throat. The assassin hissed at the small pain but kept silent otherwise.
Dax (as Slade): Perhaps if you tell us, we can ease your passing? After all, his death was quick but I can make it so much slower…and more painful…if you don’t cooperate.
Dax: The assassin spit at Slade’s face, more blood dribbling down his throat as the blade cut deeper with the motion. Eriluc pulled tighter on their hair, bracing their head backwards.
Dax (as Eriluc): Try that again, and it’ll be the last thing you do. One more chance. Who. Is. The. Target?
Dax: Slade extended their claws, twisting them so the assassin could see his companion’s blood dripping. Eriluc glanced at his friend briefly, but that was enough. He felt the assassin shift violently and heard the sound of flesh ripping open. Slade hissed.
Dax (as Slade): [hisses] Damn them to the Hells! Quick, search their pockets!
Dax: They searched but came up empty-handed, save for a small slip of paper on each of them. The paper read: She is dead.
Dax (as Eriluc): I’ll take this to Venya. They’ll want to see this. You head back to post.
Dax: As Eriluc jogged off into the trees Slade looked over the corpses one last time. They cut a piece of hair from each, tied the bundles with some string and stowed them for later. Leaving the bodies to rot, or to be found, they climbed up the tree and began hopping across the branches back to their original post.
Dax (as Slade): Perhaps Verina or Aein can look into this. [sighs] This just became more complicated, and I don’t like complicated.
Music fades out [08:49]