Before Asher could fully turn away, the sound of scraping metal wheels halted him. Two apprentice blacksmiths approached, both clad in soot-darkened leather aprons, their forearms glistening with sweat and coal dust.
Between them, they wheeled a tall, shrouded figure—roughly the height of a man—covered in a thick, ash-stained cloth.
Asher raised a brow, his curiosity piqued.
The apprentices, silent and solemn, maneuvered the object beside the trio of armors already displayed. Once in place, they bowed in unison to Asher and stepped back, their boots crunching softly over the gravel.
Dan said nothing. He stepped forward, reached up, and with one firm tug, tore the cloth away.
The effect was immediate.
A hush fell.
Beneath the veil stood a suit of armor unlike anything Asher had ever seen.
It was monstrous—and magnificent.
