A Gamble Without a Blade

The weight of the mage robe was gone, leaving Luke clad only in the light armour beneath. It was nothing more than a padded gambeson reinforced with a few leather straps—a stark contrast to the woman standing before him.

Commander Valerie's armour gleamed under the afternoon sun, a testament to craftsmanship and practicality. Unlike the bulkier plate armour worn by knights, hers was a well-crafted scale armour, each small, overlapping metal plate allowing her to move with unparalleled fluidity. Despite the additional protection of a breastplate, shoulder guards, and bracers, she had sacrificed nothing regarding mobility.

Luke couldn't help but notice the details—how the edges of her armour barely restricted movement, how each plate caught the breeze ever so slightly as if flexing with her stance. The only thing missing was a helmet, leaving her hazel brown hair free to dance in the wind that carried across the barrack grounds.