* * *
Maliar drew the knife hanging from her moonstone-studded belt and gutted the enormous iaculus. Ah, she hadn't damaged the head. Excellent. Blood covered her hands as she pulled the long stomach out of the corpse.
Night after night, she'd hunted the day-fatted iaculi, searching for the one with the bracer. Perhaps this would be it, perhaps not. It almost didn't matter, as she would stuff and mount the head either way.
She pulled an acid-streaked cloak out first. Its jewels were dull, but she could still detect their magic. A nice bit of cloak, good for sale if she patched it up. Ah, and here was a moneypouch, and-
Yes....
YES!
The black bracer felt comfortable in her hands. Slowly, carefully, she wiped the acid off it, revealing tiny jewels to the starlight. A sparkle seemed to come over them, reminding her of the first time she beheld her belt in the moonlight.
Maliar stroked the Band of Stars and smiled slowly.
The End