At the Governor's repeated, full-throated urging, hurried but orderly footsteps soon sounded outside the door, the scrape of plate armor almost overlapping with the tread of boots.
Before long, noble attendants working in pairs carefully carried in seven or eight ranged weapons of various designs.
Each weapon, shrouded in a magical glow, rested in its own long whalebone case. A thick layer of dark red velvet lined the bottom, making the contents look all the more extraordinary.
The weapons, shimmering with magical light of different colors, were placed one by one on the broad table before Renato. For a moment, the interweaving radiance of their magical energies even outshone the candles in the hall.
One composite bow was covered in pearls, giving off the salty tang of the sea; currents of air coiled around the limbs of another, and a light pluck of its string produced a piercing whistle; yet another had tiny sapphires embedded in its body, its tips carved into birds poised to take flight...
Every weapon in sight was exquisitely crafted, a masterpiece of workmanship and enchantment.
A few glances were enough for Renato to understand. The Governor of White Harbor, who had been physically formidable in his youth, probably had little taste for ranged weapons either. Most of the magical bows in his collection were works of art that symbolized his status, their bodies engraved with elaborate patterns and designs, their enchantments focused more on dazzling beauty than practical killing power.
These enchanted bows were probably little more than showpieces De Sousa used to impress his guests.
Renato did not point this out. A tacit understanding between warriors prompted the Governor to quickly pass over these beautifully decorated collectibles and focus instead on two weapons he had used in his youth.
He beckoned, and the attendants