James got up in the morning to a knock at the door. Both the maid and Jones entered the room a moment later. The maid was carrying a tray with breakfast on it, and Jones was bringing a suit of armour, a shield, a sword and a sack of other items.

"I will get you an armour stand for when you return," Jones said as he lay the armour and gear on the bed.

"Don't be dirtying that bed cover, Mr. Jones, or you will be washing it tonight," the maid said tersely at Jones.

"Yes, love," Jones said with a frown, "They missus," he whispered to James with a grin.

James took some time to examine the gear he requested and nibble on some fruit. Ferdinand said that the items he was looking for were already present at the house, so he sold them to James at a discount. James was not sure if it was a discount, but he wasn't going to argue. James was now the proud owner of a round wooden shield with iron braces, a non-descript rapier similar in shape and size to his Glrick Sword and a suit of scale mail armour with other bits and pieces. The bag contained a few perishables, some clothes, a quiver of arrows, and a whetstone.

James examined the scale mail. It was a marvel. The scales were about five centimetres wide and about seven centimetres long. Each scale was teardrop-shaped with a hole at the top. Several rings of metal held several pieces of scale together through the hole. The pattern reminded him of fish scales.

Name: Steel Scale Mail Coat Quality: Good Armour Rating: 22 Durability 32/40 Special: Worn - Torso

Picking it up, James was startled by how heavy it was.

"How the hell am I supposed to wear this? This must be twenty kilos," he muttered. Looking at the inside of the armour, James noticed a thin cord running through the links like a snake. There were also seven other pieces of armour. Two for the legs, two for the arms, two skirts and a helm. Besides the armour was something that looked like a padded coat.

"Jones!" James called out, "You busy?"

Jones walked in and looked at James expectantly, "Sir?"

"Any chance you can show me how to wear this?" James asked.

Jones frowned, "It is not wise to go into a battle with the armour you have never worn before."

James just shrugged, "Never said there would be a battle."

Jones paused for a moment thinking, then returned the shrug. "Very well."

Jones picked up the leather skirt, walking over to the bed, "This is called a Cuisses. It is hardened leather and designed to protect your upper legs. You need to put these on first." Helping James, Jones showed him how to tighten the belt. They went over the pants he was wearing and wrapped them around his thighs. The buckles were in the back."

Name: Leather Cuisses Quality: Fair Armour Rating: 5 Durability 13/15 Special: Worn - Legs

"The next thing you want to put on is the Greaves. These are steel, with hard leather on the side and a steel cop at the top to cover your knees. These only cover the front of your shins, but you can get some that cover both. They are heavier and are not usually necessary with this style of armour. If you move to heavy armour, you will want those Greaves." James used to play football and hockey when he was in high school. The armour reminded him of shin pads. The Greaves have buckles down the back of the leg.

Name: Steel and Leather Greaves Quality: Fair Armour Rating: 4 Durability 13/18 Special: Worn - Legs

"This next piece is the most important. It is called a Gambeson. It is a padded coat designed to go under the armour and prevent chafing. It can be hot sometimes, but I would rather go without the armour than the Gambeson."

Helping James put on the coat, Jones helped do up the ties and buckles. The padded coat had three buckles that overlapped left to right on the outside. The result was that the front had a double layer of padding, and the buckles ran down the side.

Name: Padded Gambeson Quality: Very Good Armour Rating: 4 Durability 19/20 Special: Worn - Torso

James noticed the quality of the Gambeson. It was worth more than what he paid for it. It was also in near new condition.

"Next is the scale armour. It opens on both sides, but you only need to open it on one side to add or remove it. Once the armour is in place, you will need to fasten the buckles and tighten them." Jones continued as James slipped into the armour and struggled to fasten the buckles. The armour was very low in the front and back, reaching the knees. It rose higher on the sides but still only mid-way up the thighs. The neck opening had a couple of buckles at the back to smaller the gap. The sleaves went all the way down to the elbow.

"What is with the cord threaded through the links?" James asked.

"It makes the armour quieter," Jones explained. Once the armour was in place, Jones showed James how to tighten and loosen the armour.

"You will end up doing this a lot. You will want to loosen it when it is hot or move around a lot when you are out of battle. When you fight, you want to make sure that it is tight." James nodded his understanding.

"Next piece is the bracers. These will reach from your wrist to the other end with a cop on end to protect the elbow. You wear bracers to protect your wrists from being cut and your arms in general."

Name: Leather Bracers with Steel Reinforcements Quality: Fair Armour Rating: 4 Durability 10/16 Special: Worn - Arms

James looked at the two bracers in his hands and turned them over. "Can I use my leather bracers instead?"

"No reason you can't, so long as they give you the best protection," Jones offered.

Walking over to the armoire, James removed the items he intended to take. The Bracers of Shields, the Belt of the Dwarves, his backpack, Bag of Holding and his Oak Bow of Piercing.

Holding up the Bracers of Shields, James Analyzed them.

Name: Leather Bracers of Shields Quality: Good Armour Rating: 3 Durability 4/16 Special: Worn - Arms, Enchanted - Armour Rating +3

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Mine are better than the new ones, but mine are near their end," James told Jones.

"I would use the non-enchanted bracers since they are cheaper to replace, but I can see if we can get yours repaired," Jones offered. James agreed and put the Bracers of Shields back on the bed.

Jones pointed at the helm now that the bracers were on James' arms.

"Before we put the helm on, you want to put on your weapons belt. Before the belt goes on, you need to put your quiver, your dagger sheath, and your new rapier sheath. As the strap is long, I will show you how to tie it. The strap goes up under the belt, then back down and under the strap. The strap should hang down in front of you. Your dagger should be at your back, the quiver on your right hip and your sword on your left hip."

Jones stepped back and handed James the helm. "This is a nasal helm. Two things are critical when wearing a helm. The first is that the top of the eye slit should be below your eyebrow, protecting your forehead. The second thing is the chin strap. Use it. The strap goes on the outside of the coif and ties securely. Ensure the helm is in the right place before securing the chin strap because it is not as effective if you put it in the wrong place."

Name: Steel Nasal Helm Quality: Fair Armour Rating: 7 Durability 22/27 Special: Worn - Head

Jones then had James turn around while he inspected the ties and the straps. "Excellent. Now, you need to do some exercises to ensure that everything is in the right place. Don't want to find a pinch in the middle of battle." Jones led James to the hallway and then pointed to the other end. "Start with a walk, then jog back."

Walking to the end of the hallway was odd with the armour on. James was surprised by how quiet it was and how secure he felt. He has a sense that he was well protected, wrapped in a warm embrace. The body armour that he wore before he died had a similar feeling. It didn't cover him as much as this armour did, but he had to admit, he liked the feel.

When James returned to Jones, "How does it feel?"

James nodded, "Good. Snug."

Jones pointed back down the hall, "Now, jog back and return at a run."

James turned around, jogged back to the end of the hall, and ran back. He was surprised he was out of breath. He had to be wearing about thirty to thirty-five kilos of armour.

Jones pointed down the hall again, "Now, run back there and sprint back."

James groaned. Jones would make a great drill instructor.

James stopped a few feet from Jones. He couldn't sprint for more than five meters before he had to drop down to a run. His last few meters were at a jog. "Okay, I think I want my leather back."

Jones laughed, "I will make a man of you yet. Come, a few more lessons before you go."

James followed Jones back into this bed chamber and grabbed some water. Jones handed James the shield when he turned around.

Name: Wooden Round Shield with Iron Reinforcements Quality: Fair Armour Rating: 8 Damage Range: 1d6+2 Accuracy: 6 Crit Chance: 2% Durability: 19/20 Damage Type: Bludgeoning Special: One-handed, Blocking

"Two important things to remember with the shield. The shield can block if you have to, but it is better at deflecting. Redirecting the energy of the attack will allow the shield to last longer. The second thing is that the shield is as much a weapon as your sword. You can use it to lash out at your enemy. The iron ring around the edge of your shield will make it last longer and is great for hitting things in the face. If you have to block, then make sure the weapon hits the shield's flat, and you have the center of impact on your arm. It will hurt, but you have some cushion on the inside of the shield to help protect your arm."

"Oh," Jones said, as he watched James, "that reminds me. Helm etiquette. Never wear your helm unless you are on guard duty or expecting a fight. If you meet someone and wear your helm, they will think that you are preparing to fight. Understood."

"That makes sense, thanks," James said.

"Okay, let's look at the other items you are taking. The fancy belt you can put on under your armour but over Gambeson. The bow you can keep in your off-hand. If you need to remove your shield, hang it from the straps off your weapons belt. There is a hook behind your weapon sheath."

James emptied the contents of his Bag of Holding and his backpack.

"Shit, I thought you were only going for a week?" Jones asked.

"I am. Why?"

"You have way too much food. Take enough for a week. That will save you some space in your Dimensional Storage Container." Jones suggested.

"I call it a Bag of Holding," James corrected.

Jones looked at James, "And you think I care, Why?" James just smiled and nodded.

"Leave the extra coil of rope, the extra mess kit and the extra potions of healing. You already have a stack of those. I doubt you will need more." Jones concluded, looking at the rest of the stuff, "Put the scrolls and the potions in the... Whatever you call it, that way, you can't lose them to a pickpocket."

"Thank you," James stated.

"You can take the wand with you, but I would leave it here unless you need it. What is in that small pouch?" Jones asked, pointing at a pouch on the bed.

"Assorted gems."

"Unless they are necessary, I would leave them as well."

James shrugged. He was well past the point of trusting these people with his gear.

"Okay. Last lesson. Remove all your armour, and then put it back on again. After you have done that, you should be ready to go."

"What?" James asked. "I just put it on?"

"Actually," Jones said as he was leaving the room, "I was the one who put it on. Now you have to implement what you learned. If you have to call me back to help, you are rerunning the halls."

James groaned, "I thought you were on my side!"

"Tell me, Senior Chief," Rocko said from behind James. "Did you do a lot of complaining in your previous job?"

James wasn't startled when Rocko spoke but just coolly turned around and began to remove the armour. The notification he was hoping for arrived when he finished getting redressed. He had the opportunity to learn the Skill Armor - Medium.

You have the opportunity to learn a new skill.

Do you wish to learn the Skill - Armor - Medium?

YES NO

After all the effort he went through to get it, he felt he earned this Skill.

Before stepping into Astral Space, James reviewed his new Status Screen. There were a lot of changes made since he last checked it, and some of it was even positive.

Name: James Gleason Race: Glrick Class: Shadow Knight Specialization: Level: 5 XP to next level: 37.00% Armour Rating: 32 Age: 42 Health: 210 Unarmed Damage: 12 Stamina: 80 Sword: 29-35 Mana: 190 PSI: 320 PSI Regen/Min 5.33 ATTRIBUTES Unspent Attribute Pts: 9 Strength 10 Agility 14 Dexterity 11 Endurance 11 Willpower 14 Intelligence 18 Charm 10 Luck 7 SKILLS Unspent Skill Pts: 4 Analyze 8 Armour – Medium 1 Astral Navigation 7 Crit Strike – Sword 1 Evasion (M) 5 Info Gathering 1 Inspect 6 Meditation 5 Melee – Glrick (M) 2 Negotiation 1 PSI – Targeted 6 Ranged – Short Bow 1 Perception (M) 2 Res – Mental 1 Res – Pain 3 Res – Poison 5 Stealth 8 Unspent Advantage Pts 0