Harrison & Sylvia: Crossroads

Part Eight

Harrison looked at his home and yawned before clambering up onto the horse. Guiding the animal next to the messenger Harrison complained, "This would have been easier with a carriage or a night's rest."

"Then you should have thought about that before sending the King your update." With a flick of the reigns, the messenger heeled his horse into a trot.

Harrison spurred his horse to follow. Along their journey, Harrison's eyes widened, and as they lingered at the vast number of Illuminators illuminating the streets. The young lordling was so engrossed with the sight that he didn't see the obstacle in his horse's path. When the horse abruptly changed direction, it took all his strength to keep himself in the saddle. Shaking his head, Harrison took one last look at the Illuminator before forcing his entire attention on the ride.

As the pair of travelers arrived at the King's villa, Harrison caught sight of the guards and stable boys waiting for them. The young boys claimed their horses while the guards waved us on by. Wordlessly the messenger guided Harrison to the villa's parlor and indicated one of the plush chairs. Nodding to the messenger Harrison plopped into his seat. Flicking his eyes back to the door, Harrison found the messenger gone. With a sigh, Harrison settled into the chair, waiting for the King to grace him with his presence. Leaning his head back, Harrison yawned and vigorously attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"I'm fairly sure the technical greeting would be, good morning," Jacob said as he closed the door to the parlor behind him.

Whipping his head around, Harrison removed his eyes and saw Jacob taking the seat across from him. Sitting up in his chair, Harrison replied, "I'm fairly certain you're right." Harrison smiled as he offered his hand to the King, "Good morning, Jacob."

Jacob folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair and waited. After a couple of heartbeats, Harrison scratched at his eyebrow, saying, "I did it, Jacob."

"That's what I had got from your note," Jacob said with wide eyes dancing with utter glee. Rubbing his hands together eagerly, the King asked, "But are you sure you truly accomplished the goal?"

"Yes, sir," Harrison said with emphatic eagerness.

The King clapped excitedly as his eyes began to sparkle, and he quickly rattled off a few questions without waiting for answers. "How big is it? What does it look like? What can be protected?"

Harrison smiled as he reached into the small pouch tied to his belt and answered one of Jacob's questions.  "It can look like whatever you want it to look like, Jacob."

"Is that so?" Jacob asked, lifting an eyebrow as he rubbed at his chin.

With a nod, Harrison brandished the swatch he experimented with. "The fabric is silk, but there is another material bonded to the silk that provides the protection." Harrison offered the fabric to his King, but the monarch stared at the swatch. When the ruler didn't reach for it, Harrison clenched his fist around the swath of silk. "Since this material can be bound to silk, we can bind it to any silk clothing you want."

Narrowing his eye at Harrison's fist, Jacob extended his hand, "May I see that bit of fabric?"

"Certainly," Harrison said as he placed the cloth into Jacob's fingers.

The King examined the square. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes at Harrison growling, "This doesn't feel like it would protect me from a punch, let alone an arrow or bolt."

Harrison's smile deepened. "Before I sliced off the piece you're holding the fabric blocked multiple crossbow bolts fired from less than three paces."

Jacob's face went slack, and his eyes fell back to the unassuming scrap of cloth, "If it could stop that bolt, how were you able to cut off a piece of it?"