Chapter 081. Vol 3 - Leather and Bands:

Verona, dried and back into her normal clothes, happily sat on Anton's lap while he brushed her shoulder length silver hair. She said nothing since they left the bath, only humming the wordless tune that she occasionally sung, the same tune that she sung at the lake or in the god's dream world when her Goddess, Jira, did it to annoy her. To his side Kal sat on the bed, loosely wearing her ragged shirt, trying to get the last remnants of water out of her fur. It appeared she hadn't had the chance to properly clean herself for some time, the colour of her fur had brightened by several shades and even had a new shine to them. Now that they were clean the hairs stuck out, making her furred limbs appear a little bit fatter. Poofy, even. Her face was clearly stained with annoyance as she tried repeatedly to push it down flat, especially her long and hypnotic tail.

Finally the tune stopped as Anton neared the end of brushing Verona's hair. "That was...a relaxing bath." Verona mewled as she lent back into his chest. She held up her left hand up high, a smile coming to her face. "Didn't expect that to happen. I didn't think you'd ask us."

"Same." Kal said quietly. She had given up trying to flatten the fur on her limbs and now focused on the fan ends of her tail. She gave Anton a smile and lent in for a kiss. “Though I'm so happy you did.”

"It really just slipped out then." Anton kissed Verona's head after he parted from Kal. "I was originally planning to get some rings first. Then ask. But, these things happen the way they do. And I'm extremely happy you both said yes."

“What else would we have said?” Verona asked, an honest look of surprise on her face. Kal smiled as well before shuffling close and wrapping her tail around them both.

"Anyway, I have something that I was going to ask." Verona nestled herself deeper. "What is the plan for the rest of the day? I know that we could spend the day having some fun times on this really comfy bed but I know that we've got things to do. Besides, we've got tonight for that."

Kal shuffled closer and rested her head on his shoulder, her slightly poofy tail's end snaking its way to Verona's lap, much to her enjoyment.

"Well, we need to move with the next part of the plan. Getting to Seocuria." Anton felt Kal's hand grip lightly on his shoulder at the very mention of that place. He gave it a squeeze to reassure her. "So, we have a decision to make. We can keep going over land, the land that Virgil said is infested with bandits. Or we can buy a boat in a city to the east and sail to Seocuria. But I don't think that we'll be just able to buy a boat, and a crew, if we just show up with a ton of money. We'll also need a captain and crew that's quiet. So they won't blab about what we're taking with us and when we land south of that crystal fissure."

"That thing takes out going by land." Verona grumbled. "We took out the only land bridge and I don't think your mum wants to fight ten thousand Goblins trying to find a way around."

Kal simply nodded. "The boat sounds like it'll be the best. We've got enough money I'm sure. But how do we get it?"

"We're going to need help from the rulers." Anton replied. "This Lord Cassius. If we can get on his good side he might make things a little easier for us. Although I don't know if his territory extends to the sea. From what little we've heard I don't think this place is united. We'll need a better map of Graterious and who holds sway where. Still, having Lord Cassius on our side would help immensely I'm sure."

"I'm sure that Virgil has told him, or whomever he has running the city, what we did and who we are." Verona sighed. "So we'll probably have someone knocking on our door in a little bit."

Anton nodded. "Hopefully it won't be like Maxill."

"What happened there?" Kal asked. "That was before I arrived, was it?"

Verona nodded. "We had a fight with some thugs working for the Duchess, who weren't too nice about it. Though they were just thugs and not the sort of soldiers this place has. They didn't have swords and armour...and I broke one of their legs when they got too close."

"So while we wait, if it's even going to happen, we should get as much done as we can." Anton looked at the armour sitting by the wall. "Our weapons are pretty good, but our clothes...really need some improvement."

"Right...That and a jewellery shop." Verona played with her left hand again. "What sort of ring are you looking at getting?"

"I'll know it when I see it." Anton replied. “It'll be one of those things.”

“How..." Kal coughed as she shuffled on the bed. "How will I do get some better armour? If the armour is going to be good it needs to be made to size...So..."

"We'll figure something out." Anton gave Kal a quick kiss. "I'm sure that we can make any small adjustments later."

Kal nodded. "I wasn't able to ask before." Kal scratched at her beast-kin ear. "But did any sort of cities like this exist where you came from?" Anton turned to look at her, Kal shied away. "I'm sorry if I made you think about-"

Anton scratched her soft ear.

"It's fine, Kal. I just don't think too much about it. There's not a lot that I really miss about my old world. Especially now that I have you two." Kal smiled, but there was still a lingering sense of regret of having asked the question. Anton coughed and continued. "But, yes, there are cities as big as Porswea in my world. Some many times bigger, in the millions of people."

"Those must have been strange places to be." Verona said. "So many people all together."

"That was a major problem with those cities. Food, water, housing. Keeping the people healthy was one of the main problems as diseases would rapidly spread in such confined areas and wipe out tens of thousands of people. Poor sanitation was one of the main problems, just like what we saw outside the city. And that's something that we'll need to deal with now rather than later. I'll tell Bertram and everyone else to start thinking up ideas on how to solve those problems. I'm sure that everyone will be glad to know that we've made it to Porswea safely."

"That won't be until tonight." Verona crawled off Anton and went to her armour. "So let's go get some better gear, and some jewellery."

Kal's hand gripped tight on Anton's shoulder. "What about people coming in here and trying to steal our stuff? I know it might not happen with this place but there's a chance..."

Anton nodded and gave her hand a reassuring pat. "Good thinking. I'm thinking that I use the prayer power to make a trap for anyone that tries to open a pack that isn't one of us."

"Your power is much more useful than mine." Verona grumbled as she dropped the chest piece over her head. "Can it be done?"

"Only one way to find out. I was able to pick a lock with the power, so why not this?"

Anton spoke a prayer over each of their bags. If someone other than them where to try and open them they would receive a nasty shock and their skin would turn blue for several days. The same with their weapons. Anton really wanted to get into the magical academy to find anything more about the powers of the Old Gods. However they wouldn't just let anyone in. Getting permission to enter and explore the presumed libraries was something that Anton didn't know how to approach. Perhaps if they got the attention of Lord Cassius they could get in.

Kal started fidgeting. “Anton. When can we start to practice my magic? I know I haven't had a good chance yet with so many people around us. But we have some privacy to practice.”

“The moment we get back we'll practice.” Anton kissed her head. “We don't want to be tired when we go out.”

Kal nodded. “Right. I can't wait to see what I can do.” She seemed really excited as they checked themselves over once again and left the room.

---[]---

The streets of Porswea were still chaotic but, now they were travelling on foot, it didn't seem so bad. Anton guessed that most of their destinations wouldn't have a stable and someone to look after their horses, and Anton since didn't want to leave either of them out of arms length in this chaotic city, they travelled very closely together. With their usual weapons left behind, without the red crystal spear or bright white bow, they wouldn't stand out too much in the bustling crowd. Kal kept her hood pulled down tight to hide the obvious white and green mask. Verona kept her blade on her side for defence and Kal had her two rusted daggers on her hips, as well as the memento blade taken from the Orc, Zig. He held their hands tight as they moved with the flow of people. It was strange being so close to so many people in this world, though those passing by acted like this was completely normal to them. Which, it was.

After leaving the Inn they travelled deeper into the city, quickly finding themselves at a large junction. Whomever designed Porswea had the decency to have large marker posts built in the middle of busy junctions. These posts were well over ten meters tall with several large wooden signs hanging down from long awnings, all with some simplified shape pointing in a direction. Anton reasoned that most people here couldn't read, so they would have to use simple pictures to compensate.

They stopped near the edge of one such post.

"The Inn lady said to find the sign with two crossed swords and a shield." Verona said loudly to overpower the back ground noise of human activity. "Which is just there. We follow that and we should get to the armoury district. Then we just need to find someone good...that doesn't ask too many questions. I'm sure that'll be easy."

Anton nodded. He followed the direction of the sign. In that direction lay several columns of smoke, smoke from the chimneys of smiths. While he didn't know if they wanted metal armour it was the best action to take right now. His thoughts turned to Kal, her face and emotions were hidden by the mask but she didn't seem to be enjoying herself at all.

"How are you holding up?" Anton asked, pulling her closer.

Kal nodded. "I'm...I'm doing alright. I never though I'd be around so many people. All that would want to..."

Anton smiled and gave Kal a quick hug. "You're doing great. We'll all just stick together."

With Kal in between them they continued to move through the busy streets. As they neared the columns of smoke the people around them changed as well. Before it had been a true mixture of people and classes, they had seen a few more chain gangs of Beast-kin, now the people were becoming more militarily minded. Nearly everyone carried some sort of weapon, of exotic material and styles, and some form of armour, that too of different designs of metal and leathers. There were less people overall so they could spread out a bit, though neither let go of Anton's hands and kept very close.

Quite a few of the people passing by were women, and many looked like they would be tough fighters. None looked weak or dainty. Such pretenders would have been killed off the moment they saw real combat. Verona caught him looking at a group of women soldiers outside a shop that appeared to sell crossbows.

"What are you looking at?" Verona asked teasingly, the grip on his hand becoming a little tighter as her nails dug into his skin.

Anton nodded to the group. "I'm liking that they're wearing a full set of armour."

Kal made a noise as Verona brought them to a stop. She moved them to the side of the flow of people and looked at the group of women soldiers now inspecting their crossbows.

"What are we looking at?" Kal asked.

Verona nodded in their direction. "Anton's checking out their armour. And that's all he's doing."

Kal turned her head to him, cocking it slightly.

Anton smiled back. "I'm just glad that they aren't wearing sexy armour."

Kal made a noise as she looked at them. Each of the women soldiers wore a full set of armour, half wore a full metal set that lacked any ornamentation, while the other half wore varying combinations of leather and metal armour. Very little of their skin was exposed.

"What do you mean by sexy armour?" Kal asked. "I mean, I can guess what you're saying..."

"Basically where a woman wears armour that is more titillating than actually useful. Like one that only covered a bit of your crotches and boobs, leaving everything else exposed."

"That's just stupid. They'd be killed in an instant." Verona said as she shook her head. "One arrow to the gut...One nasty scratch and then...Infection..."

"Exactly why I'm glad not to see it."

Anton started them moving before the group of women soldiers realised that they were watching and studying them.

"But." Kal began once they were moving. "Why would someone wear that, someone that's not working in a...You know..."

Anton shrugged. "No idea. But I don't think it happens in reality. Where I come from it happens quite a bit, in stories at least. I'm sure that those women, and men for that matter, don't last too long when they actually need to fight. I can't imagine they could survive against a Green Goblin with most of their legs and guts and breasts exposed, let alone against another human being."

Verona chuckled and shook her head. They walked in relative silence, only the murmurs of the oddly well behaved and quiet soldiers, and the clanging of the forges, to fill the air until they found a shop that looked suitable for them. It was quite a large and well maintained shop, a sign with a metal shield and a needle and thread over it hanged over the door. Quite a few people were coming and going through it's doors. It seemed like a good place to start.

"This seems like a good place." Verona said happily. "Clean and doesn't look thrown together. They've even got...glass windows. And some good looking armor inside."

It was as good a place as any to start their shopping spree. The door jingled as they entered, a tiny bell was rattled by the passing door. A torrent of smells, of oils and leather, overwhelmed Anton with the first breath, Kal sputtered a little but held herself together. The inside was filled racks upon racks of armour of varieties that boggled Anton's mind. Steel, Bosciycium, Chelium, a white metal that he guessed to be Adamantium, filled his vision. There were many different types of leather armour amongst them, the grain and colour different between each one. This appeared to be the perfect place to start shopping.

Several people were perusing through the impressive collection, doing their utmost to spot any flaw or imperfection.

How are all these here and no one is stealing one? I didn't see any guards at the door...A magical device? I wonder if I'll find out?

Near the back stood a counter, a large man behind it with four equally large armoured men standing in front. On the counter lay four white swords made from the presumed Adamantium.

"I guess that's a start." Anton said as he began walking towards the counter. "Hopefully they'll be able to help us out. If you see something you like keep note of it."

They scanned the cramped racks, Anton saw a few things that looked interesting. He didn't want any metal armour that would weigh him down and impede his movement. He wasn't sure about what the two girls were taking note of but he trusted they would pick something that suited their fighting style.

"That'll be two gold and five hundred silver for each sword, so that's ten gold coins in total." A flat but authoritative voice came from behind the counter. Anton saw through the armoured backs of the four men that they were not happy with the price.

"That's a fuckin' rip off and you fuckin' know it." one of the armoured men said back. "Especially someone with your type of hands touched it."

Are we going to have a repeat of what happened in Maxill? And what does he mean by hands? His hands seem fine. Or does it have something to do with the man himself?

The man at the counter tried his best to hide his sigh. "Adamantium is a very rare metal, there's only one mine that the kingdoms and empires can get it from. And It's not in Graterious. It's also difficult to work and quite dangerous from the amount of heat needed to make anything from it. So, that's the price. If you don't like it you can find somewhere else. Just be careful that someone hasn't just got a crappy bit of Iron and painted it white."

Anton stopped at the end of the racks and made sure that Verona and Kal weren't blocking the way. He had a sinking feeling that things might turn violent. The counter man glanced at them but instantly turned his attention to the four armoured men. Two glanced at each other, Anton saw the look in their eyes and pushed Verona and Kal further out of the away, and darted for the blades. The counter man was quick, drawing a dagger from seemingly nowhere and stabbing one of the men's hand. The blue blade pierced through the chain mail and leather glove and dug into the wood below. A terrifying scream erupted from his mouth as he desperately tried to wrench his hand free. His companions shared no apparent love for him as they grabbed the swords and ran to the door with their loot. When they saw Anton, Verona and Kal in the closest escape rout it only took a single step before they made up their mind. They didn't know who they were, they might have been no one or they could have been someone very wealthy and connected, or they might try to delay them, so they darted either side and down the racks. Armour and weapons were knocked loose as they tumbled through the tight passageways.

Verona pulled a face at Anton while Kal, he was sure, was a little bemused by them. Anton glanced at the counter man. He didn't seem to worried. His attention was still focused on the man still pinned to the table.

The men neared the door, their hands reached for the handle, and their bodies burst with lightning. All three men fell to the floor in a moaning and slowly twitching heap. The stolen swords clanged loudly on the ground while the other customers were stunned and utterly hesitant to approach.

"Idiots." The counter man said to the still whimpering thief. "Did you think that some place like this could make money in Porswea without having protection of some kind against thieves? Especially dumb ones like you."

"Fuck you! My fuckin' hand!"

"That's the least of your problems now. Thief."

The thief screamed as he tried to wrench his hand free, the counter man had embedded the blue blade quite securely to the wood. The counter man quickly grew tired of the mans pitiful attempts to free himself so he stuck him over the head with a hammer. With a loud crack the man fell silent and still. However he did seemed to be alive.

With the situation seemingly dealt with Anton tentatively approached the counter, Verona by his side and Kal a little bit behind. The counter man saw him approach and shook his head.

"Johnny?" He yelled an the open door leading behind the counter. "I need you out here."

"Really? This little thing?" The voice was male but very effeminate, to the point where it belonged in a bad parody of how gay men spoke. “Just after what I heard?”

The counter man shook his head. "Yes. Just get out here."

A series of quick steps came towards them. A rather ordinary, relatively slim, man appeared. Then he spoke. "Oh. Has another bunch of thugs tried to hurt you?" Johnny, if that was Johnny, said to the counter man.

He sighed and nodded to the mess littering the floor, and the four downed men. "I'm afraid so. This one, and three more at the door, tried to steal four Adamantium swords."

Johnny gasped, both hands covering his mouth dramatically as he looked to the unconscious man.

"Well, that's what he gets from trying to steal from my Fergus." Johnny looked towards the rows filled with knocked over pieces of armour and sighed. The dramatic voice ceased the moment he saw them. He knew that would involve a lot of work to get them back on the racks. "Right. Well, I'll go get someone from the city watch to deal with these four idiots then I'll be back to help clean up."

As Johnny stepped around the unconscious thief his eyes turned to Anton. "They...They weren't a part of this?"

Fergus shook his head. "Nope. They just got here and stayed out of the way."

Johnny sighed. "If only it was that easy for the rest of us. I'll be back soon."

He turned and gave Fergus a little wave, one which was returned, and made for the door. Anton saw him pick up the Adamantium blades but did not receive the blast of lightning. He did, however, slide them away from the door with his foot before picking them up and placing them upon a nearby wooden container.

"So." Fergus looked up as the door chimed with Johnny's passing. "Since it's going to be a while before he's back, how can I help you?"

"Is that common?" Verona asked as they approached the counter. "Even though you've got that lightning thing?"

Fergus nodded. "Every now and again someone tries. There's more than enough fools in this city for someone to try. That and travellers from nearby cities that want to try their luck."

I'm curious how it works but I don't think that he'll just tell me. I'm certain that the shops on Earth would kill for something like that, even if the law says it would be too brutal. They are still alive though...

"Seems to be." Anton said as he inspected the thief pinned at the counter. His armour appeared to be pretty strong and in good condition. The sword at his side, while made from steel, looked pretty good as well. It must have been greed that convinced them to try and steal the Adamantium swords. And now they were going to be arrested.

"My companions and I are looking for better armour." Anton began. "And you're the first store we've come across."

Fergus looked them over. His eyes questioned Kal's mask and Verona's silver hair for a moment before he shrugged.

"So long as you've got the money we're happy to help." Fergus folded his massive muscled arms. They were only a little smaller than Jonathan's. "I don't have time for time wasters."

"I can understand that." Anton reached into a concealed purse as he looked back at the disorganised racks with their spilled contents. "How much do you think three full armour sets cost?"

"Depends what you're after. If you want the really rare stuff it be one to two gold coins for the each of you. I think you overheard how expensive these swords are. And there are more expensive things in here."

"You must have this place built like a fortress." Anton said as he removed three gold coins. "I think this will prove that we aren't joking."

Fergus frowned as he looked at the gold coins laid in front of him. He regarded them with suspicion as he picked them up and held them close to his eye. Eventually he appeared satisfied they were genuine and handed them back.

"I don't know where three people dressed like you are now got this much-"

"We didn't steal it." Verona pouted a little. "If that's what you mean?"

His eyes rested on Verona's silver hair for some time.

"No. But I don't want to be involved with some sort of crime or scam. I've got enough trouble as it is."

"From these idiots or something else?" Anton asked.

Fergus's eyes narrowed and he refused to answer. Anton guessed it had to do with Johnny, and whatever sort of relationship they shared. Humans are not the most tolerant of species and with their choices of partners. It didn't matter to him, Avery was gay and he didn't have a problem with him or his ability. For some reason it mattered to quite a few people, though these four might have just wanted some cheaper gear and were going to use sexuality to get a better deal.

Fergus shook his head light and slapped his large hands together. "So. What will it be?"

"We're after something light, strong and easy to move about in." Anton glanced back the nods from both girls. "Nothing garish and loud. So probably nothing with heavy metal. Oh, and a new cloak for Kal."

Fergus looked at Kal's mask. "Hmm. I don't think you'll want any more attention than you two women are getting already."

Verona ran her fingers through her loose silver pony tail. "I always liked my hair. It's only causing us trouble now. I'm not going bald to stop getting attention."

Also the red glyph marks extend to your skull. That might make them even more suspicious of you.

"You're not a Clanswomen?" Fergus asked.

"No. I think that I'm one of their descendants." Verona looked up at each of them. "They could have given me their height. Anyway, I think we'll need a cloak for all three of us actually. Do you have something like that?"

Fergus nodded. "I do. But first let's get some proper armour for you then worry about those." Fergus took the Adamantium blade and stored it behind the counter. As he moved closer to them he frowned as he looked at Anton's chest. "Where did you get that armour?"

"Is it that bad?"

"It's alright, for someone living on the fringes, but how do you have that much money and still wear that?" Anton said nothing and stared back. Finally Fergus shrugged. "It doesn't really matter I suppose. That's why you're here now."

"Indeed it is."

Fergus smiled lightly and moved from behind the counter to the far right of the shop, well past the armour racks they passed to enter. There were many more armour racks in that direction as well. The shop was a lot bigger than Anton first realised, seemingly it contained the next building with the wall knocked through. He stopped in front of a rack with dozens of sets of hardened leather armour. What Anton knew was none of them were made from a cow or an Ix, some other exotic creature. The colours and grains were all of different colours and types.

"I was thinking these, to start." Fergus began. "These are at the top end of the leather armours we have available. You said you didn't want metal armour..."

"It's too bright." Kal said as they approached. "The light bounces off the metal and gives you away. And it's too loud and limits movement."

Fergus nodded. "That's one of the reasons why many people pick leather armour over metal, especially bandits...So, anything here take your fancy? We have this whole row for you to look through."

Verona's eyes caught something as she looked down the rows of armour. She stopped in front of a full set of a dark grey leather armour set. From the joints of the armour, like where the chest piece met the legs, a soft white fur stuck out an for inch, far more around the neck. It rested on a stand and appeared to contain everything other than a helmet.

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"What's this one?" Verona asked, running her hand over the surface of the leather. "It feels really fine."

"It's a full hide armour, without a helmet." Fergus began. "Made from the hide of a Grey Emperor Wyrm. Very, very strong hide. They only live in the north of the Bebbezar Kingdom so its had to travel some distance. It'll stop just about any steel sword or arrow, though if you get shot by a crossbow up close you'll probably be in trouble. Probably not a puncture but definitely some deep bruises, maybe a few broken bones."

Verona nodded and looked back at Anton. "I seem to recall you saying something about me not ever wearing something made from the hide of a Dragon Emperor." She smiled sweetly at him. "I know what I'm getting. How did they bring it down?"

"I believe they had to take out its eyes first, then they can kill it safely." Verona nodded but didn't reply to Fergus's words. "You'll also see the white fur sticking out of the armour pieces? That's Winter Wolf fur, so it's really soft. The inside of the Wyrm hide would rub against your skin and rub it raw before the day was done. Even if you were just breathing. It also keeps you at a consistent temperature, so it'll be hard to overheat while wearing it."

"That sounds good. Now..." Verona clapped her hands together and pointed them towards Fergus. "I have certain...Problems, two of them in fact, that this armour currently helps me deal with."

Fergus nodded. "That's not my area of expertise. When Johnny gets back I'll have you discuss it with him. He knows fabrics and those sort of things better than me."

"Okay. I'll take it then." Verona glanced back at Anton. The face she pulled was identical to a pleading puppy. Anton smiled and nodded.

"Yes!" Verona exclaimed. "How much is it?"

"All of them, and that is without a helmet, will cost two gold and two hundred silver."

Verona choked at the price, and Kal swore under her breath. Anton was stunned by the price, though the Adamantium blades should have warned him of what to expect.

"How do you have something so expensive just sitting around?" Anton asked after he recovered from his brief shock.

Fergus smiled. "Things like this do sell pretty quickly. Usually a rich Lord or merchant wants to equip some of their soldiers with the best equipment that can be bought. Some of them have more money than sense. They like to show off to their friends. I encourage it, in fact."

Walking around with that on would definitely attract a lot of attention. Bad people might think that we've got a lot more money on us. Which we do. But if we have the cloaks over us it'll be hidden.

"Alright." Anton said. "We'll definitely need a cloak to hide it, just in case some one gets some ideas."

"We'll also need that helmet later too." Verona mumbled. "I don't want to be struck in the head with a rock or an arrow. It all just seems a little bit...Big, for me."

"I'll have Johnny get some measurements and get it adjusted as soon as possible. Might take a day to get it done."

"That's alright." Verona replied. "Right. I've got mine. What about you two?"

Fergus looked over Anton's shoulder. Kal had taken a few steps back and was looking intently, at least he was sure she was, between several different pieces on the far side. Kal, upon noticing that everyone was looking at her, pointed at the pieces.

"It doesn't matter if they're not in one set, does it?"

"No. People need replacements all the time. What has caught your...eye?"

Kal pointed to a sandy coloured leather chest, a darker band over the front at breast height. It was an extra piece of leather armour that had been fastened on. She also pointed at a pair of dark brown pants, with pads of thick hide covering the vulnerable sections, and a leather shirt that appeared to go with the chest piece, and had the same patches of leather over vulnerable sections. She also pointed at a pair of thick black leather gloves, and two dark brown boots that reached to halfway up her calf. Those boots would need some work to make them right for her feet but the size was basically right.

"Okay... Okay." Fergus held his chin and scratched it with one finger. "Do you use a bow?"

Kal nodded.

"I thought you might. The extra piece of armour protects the chest from the release of a bow. Far more important for a woman not to get hit there, so I am told."

"They seem about my size." Kal mumbled as she touched the chest piece. "I'll make any adjustments myself."

Fergus raised a brow. "Are you sure? We include it in the price.”

Kal looked at Anton, then down at the floor. "It...depends on where the measurements are taken."

"We have women customers and they are perfectly fine with Johnny."

"Because he's..." Verona trailed off at the end.

Fergus nodded. "Yes...yes. His interest in women is..."

Everyone fell silent as an awkwardness filled the vacuum. Anton doubted that homosexuals were treated well in Graterious. They weren't treated that well back on Earth. Fergus realised the silence was not going to be good for his business, so he continued as best he could.

"We'll get those worked out for you." Fergus said to Kal. "And what about you?" He asked as he turned to Anton. "Have you spotted anything that takes your fancy?"

"Not...Not really." Anton replied. "Verona and Kal know how they fight and picked theirs accordingly. I..."

"Okay. I presume that you are mercenaries of some kind, so...How do you fight?"

"Magic."

"Magic?" Fergus looked him over. Once again the relative cheapness of their clothing was acting as a severe detriment to their cause. "That would explain the money, and I've met a few mages in my time, but most of them are a bunch of c-."

Before Fergus could finish his obvious swear the door bell rang as someone entered the store. Fergus moved to check, in case a thief actually managed to get away with their loot, and smiled as he saw Johnny with six Graterious soldiers following close behind. Anton recognised one, he was the same man that stopped them as they entered the city. And the same one that was leering at his women. There must be some sort of rotation in the Graterious guards.

"Here they are." Johnny spoke in his overly effeminate voice. "Scoundrels that wanted to steal Fergus's hard work."

The Graterious soldier looked down at the thieves who were only just starting to recover consciousness. He shook his head and waved the other soldiers forward.

"I'll never understand why these idiots try this shit." He knelt down and rummaged through their pants, bringing out a small coin purse. Several silver and copper coins and plates poured out.

"They're hardly poor." He jangled the money in his hand. "Look at all this shit they've got."

"They tried to steal four Adamantium swords. Good forged ones too."

"Ah. That would explain it." The soldier shook his head. "People can go just as crazy for that white stuff as they would for gold." He took all four coin purses as the theives were assembled near the door.

"What's going to happen to them?" Verona asked Fergus. "Do they loose a hand or what?"

The soldier and Johnny looked up at the noise. The soldier squinted at them before it dawned over him who they were. This time he kept a more professional attitude then before.

"I'm pretty sure I told you lot to stay out of trouble."

"We are." Anton replied. "We aren't involved in this."

"So what's going to happen to them?" Verona asked.

The soldier rolled up the sleeve of one of the thieves and tutted. He held up the mans wrist, a circle had been branded into the skin. He checked the other three before he sighed and shook his head.

"Bastards aren't just thieves. They're from Tullas Mad Eye's gang. Cassius won't be glad to here about this. What the fuck are they doing here?"

That gang that Virgil is hunting really is everywhere. Pretty stupid for them to try this though. Being a bandit doesn't meant that they're smart. Either you're very or not at all.

"Normally they would be sent to the mines or hard labour for the rest of their lives, but that's not happening with these four. They'll come back with us so we can have a nice long chat."

They didn't need a further explanation. Four more soldiers entered and hauled the stunned theives away, leaving the Graterious soldier next to Johnny. He handed over two of the coin purses. They sounded relatively heavy as they fell into his hand.

"Here's your portion. For your trouble."

Johnny appeared hesitant to accept but eventually did. The soldier gave them all a quick nod before following his other soldiers. With a chime the door closed and they were all gone.

"That was a lot easier than I expected." Johnny shrugged as he walked towards them, he held the two coin purses in his hand like they were about to explode. "We've even made a little bit of money off them."

When he was close enough he tossed the purses to Fergus.

"So..." Johnny spoke with a teasing voice. "What's been happening while I've been away?"

Fergus weighed the purse in his hand. "Not that much. We've got two of them sorted, they'll need some adjustments, and we're still working on the last one."

"That's good." Johnny looked straight at Anton. "So, what are you looking for?"

"He said he uses magic." Fergus interrupted before Anton could get a noise out. "And that got me a little confused."

Johnny frowned and looked him over, even peering around his backside. "You? A mage? From the academy?"

"Are they that bad?" Anton asked.

"No... Not all of them." Johnny replied. "But most of them are..."

"Just spoiled little brats?"

"Basically."

"Can't wait to meet them." Anton mumbled. "What I'm looking for is something that'll keep me safe and doesn't interfere with my magic."

"That's easy enough for us. But we don't have anything that will enhance your magic...The academy keeps all that stuff to themselves."

Verona chuckled and looked up at him. "I don't think you need to have any more magic. You'll probably just pop."

Fergus and Johnny looked at one another before shrugging. It didn't matter to them if Anton was crazy or overconfident with his magical prowess. All that really mattered was his coin.

Fergus started walking towards the entrance. "I was thinking something to keep arrows and bolts out of you, as well as an assassins blade. If you're a mage then you shouldn't be fighting against swords or spears. If you are then something's going wrong."

Johnny looked at Verona and Kal. He clearly wanted to say something but held his tongue. Fergus stopped at the beginning of the rack and waved them over. He stared at a set of a black and grey leather and woven armour. It looked a little similar to the pants that Kal had chosen, these too had thicker sections of leather had been added to the vulnerable locations. Overall it looked very strong.

"This armour set has a toughened cloth made from Brackenlace, so it's a lot stronger what you're currently wearing. Also quite a few sections of Grey Wyrm leather for extra protection."

Anton looked back down the rows. Nothing else caught his attention. They also didn't have all day to spend shopping in this one building. They had quite a few things to do before they stopped for the night.

"Alright." Anton nodded. "I'll take it. There'll have to be some measurements to make sure it fits."

Johnny clapped his hands together. "That's where I come in. If you three would follow me I'll get your measurements while Fergus brings them over and we get some money sorted out."

Johnny threw Fergus a look, to which he gave a nearly imperceptible nod. They certainly wouldn't want their time wasted.

"You also haven't chosen any helmets or cloaks." Fergus said after them as they were being led away. "Just something something to keep in mind."

"I think we'll get them tomorrow." Anton replied. "We've still got a few more things to get done today."

"It will take a little bit to get them to the right size." Johnny replied. "You can't just use steel tools to get it done, so it's going to take some time."

He led them past the counter and to the room behind. Anton heard further clinking of metal from the armour racks as they passed. Anton spied a young man putting the spilled pieces of armour back onto the racks. It seemed there was someone else working here. The back room was a little crowded of miscellaneous items. There clearly wasn't a forge here so the work must not done somewhere else, somewhere an expensive metal like Adamantium could be worked safely and away from prying eyes. Johnny retrieved a measuring tape, made from a very flexible leather.

Johnny waved for Anton to raise his arms and he moved close. "I'm just going to get your measurements so we can make this fit. All three of you."

As he wrapped the tape around his arm Anton looked straight at him. "Don't go putting your hands anywhere near Kal unless I say so."

Johnny looked up and nodded. Nobody would want an angry mage breathing down their neck. Johnny quickly took the measurements of himself and Verona, and making a brief compliment about the size of her bust, and then moved to Kal. Kal, with her white and green mask, looked straight at him. Anton could tell that she was very nervous about being touched. If her secret got out...

"How... How about I do it?" Anton asked.

Johnny nodded and handed the tape to him. Kal whispered a thanks as Anton read out the measurements. With that done Johnny took back the tape. He checked the values and nodded.

"These won't take too long to adjust. Removing sections isn't the problem, adding them is."

"How long are we talking?"

"It'll be ready first thing in the morning."

"I didn't think it could be done that quick. That'll be great." Anton gave him a small nod. "We'll cough up the coins then be on our way. When we come by in the morning we'll get the helmets and cloaks. Just something that's good and fits.”

“We've got some good ones.” Johnny said. “They're made from some aged Brackenlace so it'll be very strong. Very strong even though it looks quite worn. You'll just look like another traveller while still being able to fend off knife attacks. And the weather.”

Anton nodded. It all sounded very good. Now it was just a matter of how much it would cost. They moved back to the counter as Fergus passed them carrying the pieces of armour in one great stack. Despite the weight the large man wasn't having any trouble.

"Are you the one that makes the armour and weapons here?" Anton asked.

Fergus made a noise as he placed the armour onto a table in the back room. He returned, brushing a smattering of dust off his hands.

"I do. I do quite a bit of this. I have forged Adamantium before, but not here. We can only do that in the Empires' Forges and I can't get into those. Though I'm sure the Dwarves could easily do it."

Anton had heard of Dwarves being in this world before though he had yet to see one. Perhaps they would be classed a non-human that wouldn't be attacked or put in chains, especially if they could be classed as small and wide humans with tremendous beards. If his image of them matched the reality here.

"Any of them in Porswea?"

Fergus shook his head as Johnny moved behind him with a sheet of rough paper. "Not since I was a boy. And that was a long time ago."

"Not that long ago." Johnny cheekily smiled back.

"Shame." Anton said as he reached into one of the hidden coin pouches. "I would have like to have met one. See what they're like."

"Well, they aren't dead or wiped out." Fergus continued. "So they're still around. They're still living happily on their isles, last thing I heard. Though it's a long journey if you want to get there."

"How far are we talking?" Anton asked as he removed a small handful of gold coins.

"From here you'd have to travel through Seocuria, then Bebbezar, take a boat past The Conflagration and land on the north of the Mycenaean City States. Then head to the south of the City States, get on another boat and reach the south of the Holy Kingsland, a brief stop on the Frindal Emerate and then a long boat trip to the Dwarven Isles."

"Well how long does that take?" Verona asked, the exasperation clear in her voice. Anton felt the same way.

Fergus scratched his chin. "If...If you were to leave now, near the end of summer, you could be there by...provided you don't get killed by bandits or goblins or the like, by...the middle of spring."

Two sets of hands gripped onto Anton's arms. Verona was looking at him very worried and Kal's hand held him very tight, her true emotion hidden by the mask but he could feel that she was more than worried. Did they think that he was going to set off on an adventure right away?

"We aren't going there." Verona spoke adamantly. "That's way too far. Not when we...No."

Kal nodded as Anton gave both of their hands a squeeze. "No, we won't be even trying to go there any time soon."

"The only other way, if it's still possible, is to head through the ruins of the Kar Kingdom then through the Wood Elven Orthanos Kingdom and take one of their boats to the Dwarven Isles. They use their magic to make the boats a lot stronger to survive the dangerous waters of the deep oceans. But you can't go through the Kar Kingdom now."

Anton nodded. "Full of nasty beasts and monsters."

"That it is. So, you can't head that way. That only leaves you the long way."

A bunch of goblins doesn't worry me too much, though we can't go that way for other, more dangerous, reasons.

Johnny clapped his hands. "I hate to be the one to break your conversation up but we require payment."

"Right." Both girls let Anton's arms go. "How much are we talking?"

Johnny looked over Anton's shoulder as he handed over the piece of paper. There were still a few people perusing the shop and a few were slowly making their way to the counter with pieces of metal and leather armour in their hands.

They might not want them to overhear how much money this is going to cost and have us pay up immediately, and have them know we have a lot of money on us. Or, since we still look pretty poor, don't want them to think they're trying to get rid of us with ridiculous prices because we look poor. Either way...

Anton looked at the price. Eight gold coins. He didn't know if it had been rounded up or down but that wasn't much of a problem for them. Verona and Kal peered around and neither offered any objections. Anton was pretty sure that Kal could read but he wasn't so sure about Verona. They did a little bit of studying when they were in Atros but then there were other, more important, things on their mind.

"Alright." Anton handed over the gold coins as discretely as he could. Fergus took and immediately hid them, giving Johnny a tiny nod.

"If you come back in the morning we'll have them ready for you." Johnny began. "Then you can get what ever else you need."

"Thanks." Anton glanced back, another group of customers were only a few meters away. "Since we're new to Porswea, where's the best place to get a map and some jewellery? Rings and the like?"

Anton felt Verona and Kal perk up at his words.

Johnny smiled wildly. "I know that the government controls things like detailed maps so unless you know someone really high up I don't think you'll be able to find one without being robbed. And I would hate to see that happen to the three of you. But for jewellery...Well, I would say that the best place would be Madam Higgins."

"They do have some nice stuff." Fergus nodded, deep in thought.

Johnny nodded as well. "So that would be the best, and safest place, to go."

"Alright. How..."

Johnny flushed slightly as he waved his arms in apology. "Sorry. I...out of here take a right. Once you get to one of the big plazas find a sign with the two golden rings on it and head that way. You're looking for a blue fronted shop with a large golden woman on the front."

"Thanks again. We'll see you tomorrow morning."

They turned and left as the next group approached carrying many armour sets. Hopefully they wouldn't end up like those thieves, spluttering and writhing on the floor before being taken away to who knows what terrible fate. Anton entwined his hands with Verona and Kal, both girls leaning into him, as they headed back outside into the busy streets.

---[]---

The plaza was even busier than before. It appeared to be some middle of the afternoon rush hour. People and horses were bustling and jostling for space as they swarmed through each other like a writhing mass of worms. This time Anton held their hands tight, and they held his tight in return. They found the jewellery sign hanging from the central pillar and followed it down yet another busy street. Again the traffic quickly petered out and this time the people became more wealthy. Far more wealthy.

These people were different to the soldiers and mercenaries they passed in the armoury district. Everyone was obviously wealthy, to some degree; finely made clothes, immaculate hair and skin, along with slaves or servants that followed the most wealthy among them. A few regarded Anton and his women as scum but kept their animosity towards their presence firmly on their faces. Strangely it was more often the women that regarded them harshly, most of the men did not appear to be able to care less about their presence. Anton paid them no attention.

Madam Higgins shop was not hard to find. All the shops and stores were garish to the some degree but this one stood out amongst all the others. The golden woman was a heavily stylised statue in an erotic and seductive pose with her rear was on display to everyone. Women stood outside wearing very little, their clothes designed to be as alluring and titillating as possible, all shouting to the passing crowds. To the passing men they sold the idea of impressing their woman and to the women they told them to use it to impress their husbands or boyfriends. It appeared to be working well as quite a number of people were entering and leaving the store.

Just as they were about to head towards the building Anton spotted the back of someone that he recognised. Virgil. He was alone, none of his Bandit Hunter friends were anywhere nearby, and his attentions were focused on a young woman outside the shop. Judging by her expression she was not interested but was too polite to send him away or call for help. The other women kept them within eyesight while they continued to ply their trade.

"She looks like she needs help." Verona spoke quietly to Anton's ear. "She doesn't look too happy that he's chatting to her."

"Let's go save someone then." Anton replied. They moved closer and Anton yelled out to Virgil. Virgil turned around to the source, puzzlement on his face, and the girl used the chance to escape. When Virgil recognised them a smile crept onto his face.

"Hello there." Virgil said as he approached. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you any time soon."

"Neither did we." Anton replied. "What do you think you were doing to that poor girl? Was Sancha not enough for you?"

Virgil chuckled as he glanced back. The young woman was nowhere to be seen.

"Haven't seen any of them since we separated. No idea what they're doing. Nor do I have any desire to stay with that girl other than a half decent fuck while we're on the road. I don't think she's entirely right in the head."

Verona scoffed. "With a mother like that what chance does she have?"

Virgil nodded. "I heard all about it, what happened. Wouldn't shut up about it. But enough of that crap about those crazy fuckers. What are you three up to?"

"Just doing some shopping." Anton replied, Verona smiled and pulled closer to his arm, Kal followed in response.

Virgil chuckled. "I see. Madam Higgins has got all the sort of jewellery you could want. And a few other, more private things..."

"Is that what you were trying to impress that girl with?" Verona asked. "Your knowledge of jewellery?"

Virgil laughed again. "No. But she'll come around. Just give her a few days."

"I really doubt that."

"What about you?" Anton asked. "Has Lord Cassius sent you back out to hunt more bandits?"

"Not yet. He's not in Porswea right now, which is a little odd, so I'm enjoying a few days to myself." Virgil raised a hand. "Before you ask, I have dropped your name...s and deeds to the local governor. Let's just say that he was a little...disbelieving of what I had to say. When everyone else said the same thing he changed his mind. I'm sure that people will soon be speaking to those Bebbezarian traders we travelled with before he makes up his mind. Not too hard to miss one of them here."

Anton wondered how they were doing; if they were doing alright, if they had fallen back to their old ways, if Cetina was doing better and Duran had changed permanently. He put those questions away for a later time.

"I was hoping that the governor might be able to help up secure a ship and crew." Anton began. "I don't think that many would rent or sell their ship to us. Not the size we for what need."

Virgil bit on his lower lip and allowed it to roll free. "No. They really wouldn't. And I thought you were mad before, but..." Virgil frowned in deep thought. "I might be able to help you out there. It'll take a few days before Lord Cassius gets back to Porswea, and when he does it'll be a little bit before he'll believe your story to be genuine, so I have an idea to help Graterious, Lord Cassius and yourselves all in one go."

"This should be interesting." Anton and Kal said simultaneously.

Virgil nodded. "After you're done here, head over to the mercenary recruitment district, You're looking for a chain surrounding a gold coin, and find the Graterious Mercenary Guild, those are the people that I work for."

"That's not the most original name I've ever heard. I heard there was another mercenary group called..." Anton glanced at Kal, who whispered the answer. "The Red Company."

Virgil scoffed, waving them down as he shook his head. "No way would I work for those idiots. Only the really desperate and stupid work for them. They spend their time guarding trading caravans mostly and protecting some poor lord, and running away if it looks like it'll be a tough fight. The people that I work with actually have some skill, and not just some copper coins they found on the ground after sucking it out of a passing drunk."

"Right...So, you were saying?"

"Yes. I've been told there's a really big job coming up which is no good for me, because I've just got back and I need a few days of not sleeping on the ground and grass, but you three will easily make short work of it with your skills."

Virgil kept glancing at Kal, a little worry in his face. He still believed that Kal had more terrifying powers than himself or Verona, because of the mask and how little she had fought at Soulthor.

"What's the job then?" Kal asked. "We can't stay here too long."

"You'll be supporting a Graterious Legion as it tries to retake a fortress a days ride north west from here. It's just been over run by a horde of Goblins and..." Virgil shrugged. "They need it back to help fend off the Deweth Clansmen, whenever they decide to attack. The fortress is vital for defence and distribution of resources and men, so they can get to forts that are starting to fall against the Clansmen. And, considering how easily you dealt with those Ghlotsm, I thought you would do really well there."

"If it's so strong then why did it fall?" Anton asked.

Virgil shrugged, hopelessly. "Oh, they didn't give up like some old Kar soldier. They took down tens of thousands but there were just tens of thousands more to replace them. No one has seen this many since... About two hundred winters ago, so I'm told. Everyone in the military is extremely concerned and they're hiring anyone who is willing to fight to help out. Which you three can do."

"We do this and we'll get to see Lord Cassius?" Anton asked.

"If you three do what I think you can do, even if you didn't want to see him, you would. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're well paid for your trouble. So long as you sign up with the Graterious Mercenary Guild."

"Sounds like you own it." Anton snidely pointed out.

Virgil smiled and slowly nodded, a big cheesy grin on his face. "I may own a part of it, yes."

"So you just want us to make some money?" Verona shook her head.

"There is that too." Virgil admitted. "But doing this is the fastest way you'll be able to get that boat you want. I know that Lord Cassius has quite a few, and he could afford to let go one of the older ones. Who you get as part of your crew is beyond me, but also not my problem." Virgil clapped his hands. "So, are you in?"

Anton looked at Verona and Kal. It was a little hard to gauge what their reaction was.

"We'll need to have a bit of a discussion about it first." Anton replied, Verona nodding in response. "But we will take your proposition seriously."

Virgil smiled and nodded. While Anton was sure that he would have preferred a yes, they hadn't given a no. It appeared to satisfy him for now.

"The Guild wants the numbers in by this afternoon. So, if you are interested, you'll have to get it done by then." Virgil smiled. "Well, I won't hold you up any more than I already have. You three have a good day."

Virgil gave a final nod before heading back into the crowd. A few seconds passed and he was gone.

Verona pulled on his sleeve. "What do you think about that? It might be worth looking into."

"If..." Kal began. "If it gets us to Seocuria and Danafra quickly, which it sounds like it might, I think we should do it." Kal started nodding furiously. "An extra few days here might make a lot of difference. And it'll make it much easier to get them back home. And a whole lot more of my...people."

"I was thinking along those lines too." Anton replied, giving Kal's hand a squeeze. "It'll get us there a lot faster and we might be able to make some powerful friends in the process." Verona smiled and Kal felt rather happy too. Anton looked at the golden woman in front of the store. "But first we've got this to deal with."

"Right." both girls replied at once.

They all took a deep breath before they entered the shop. The women outside paid them only a little attention now that it was clear they were heading inside. The inside of the shop was very well furbished, an immaculately maintained jewellery store. Again Anton was shocked at the wealth on display in this place. Dozens of large glass cabinets, adorned with gold trimmings, lay scattered throughout the room with more conservatively dressed women beside them. From the ceiling a series of large glowing crystals floated, just like those they saw in Duchess Belinda's mansion, covered everything in a light blue hue. Another group of people tried to enter so Anton pushed them all forward. Their boots crunched on the soft blue carpet as they began to wander about the store.

“What are we looking for?” Verona asked.

“Well...Rings.” Anton replied. “I'm not too fussed about price.”

None of the women tried to come towards them so Anton found a series of counters that looked like what they were looking for. Before he could get a good look at the items on display he heard a series of footsteps approaching. They sounded a little heavy.

"Hello there." a voice called from behind the glass counter. Anton looked up and unlike most of the women present, inside or outside the building, this woman was comparatively old. She kept herself in good shape, very few wrinkles and smooth skin, but age was only just starting to show through. It was quite difficult to guess her actual age though.

"Yes." Anton smiled towards the woman, Verona and Kal still marvelled at the copious amounts of wealth on casual display. "I...We were looking to buy some rings."

The woman smiled. "Then you have come to the right place." Her brown eyes looked them over. "If you have the money for it."

Hopefully these sort of questions won't be happening too more often.

Anton nodded. "That we do."

The woman smiled, a business smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Excellent." she clapped her hands together. "I am Madam Higgins, owner of this fine establishment."

"A pleasure to meet you." Anton replied. "We were told by a man called Fergus and a man called Johnny that you were the best in Porswea."

Madam Higgins flushed a little, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "Those boys are too nice for their own good. Still, I wont turn down any sort of business. And since you came from them that means that you probably aren't lying about money."

"Does that happen often?" Verona asked. "People wasting your time, or stealing stuff?"

Madam Higgins looked at Verona's silver hair for some time before the smile returned. Finally she weakly shrugged. "Sometimes. Though not that often. Not when they hang theives or send them to work in the mines."

Verona nodded. "So what sort of wedding rings do you have?"

She waved them towards the long display case, filled with hundreds upon hundreds of gold and silver rings, many more made from metals that covered the entire spectrum of the rainbow. The types of gems mounted on the top were even more diverse. Anton didn't want to think too much about how much wealth was right infront of him. Verona and Kal had the same idea.

"This is our main selection of wedding rings. Does anything take your fancy?"

Anton scanned the rings before looking at Verona. She smiled warmly. "What ever you pick, I know I will love it."

Anton glanced at Kal.

"I don't know that much about these things, but I trust your judgement. Besides." she gripped his hand tight. "It's because of what you said we're even here."

"I'll try to not let you two down." Anton said, Verona chuckling in response while Kal nodded once. He looked up at Madam Higgins, who had retained a neutral expression. It didn't matter to her what they were doing in their private lives so long as they had the money to pay for her goods.

Anton resumed scanning the display cabinet. Finally he found something that caught his eye, two rings very close to each other. One was made from silver and had a ruby gem mounted on the top. The other was a dark green metal with lighter swirls throughout with a white gem on top. Immediately he knew he had made his decision. It appeared that Madam Higgins had come to the same conclusion. She moved to where his eyes lingered for some time and opened the display cabinet from her side.

"I believe that these are the ones that interest you?" she waved her hand in their general direction.

"Yes. The silver and red, and the green and white one." Anton saw Verona very excited out the corner of his eye while Kal was equally happy, he was sure. The mask muted some of her emotions.

Madam Higgins smiled and retrieved the rings. Anton was now wondering how much these were going to cost.

"A fine choice." she smiled and clapped her hands. "That will be-"

"Hang on." Verona threw up a hand. "It's not fair that we get one and you don't. You made a decision for us, so now it's time for us to do it for you."

Verona waved Anton away while pulling Kal towards her. Anton took a few paces to the side and let the whisper in private. Madam Higgins did the same thing. As the seconds dragged on in silence Anton started to feel rather awkward just standing there and watching them make a decision. It took some time but Verona started bouncing and tapping on the glass.

"Got it." Verona said, tapping furiously on the glass case. Underneath her finger lay a ring made from a black metal with white waves running through it. There was no gem on the top but it still looked expensive.

"Excellent choice." Madam Higgins said as she removed the ring.

Verona smiled as she turned to him. "I don't think you wanted to wear all those rings on one finger. It'll get it too heavy. And I think this one looks really good too."

Kal nodded to Verona's words.

"It would have only been two rings."

"Yeah...Yeah." Verona looked off into the distance, the hint of a wicked smile drew on the corner of her face. He had seen this before. It didn't make him worried but it made him curious as to what she was planning. Verona clapped her hands. "Anyway, that stuff can wait until later. Right now we need to pay for these things."

Anton looked at Madam Higgins, who returned a smile. "Since you three seem very much in love, I'll let these go for five gold coins and five silver rings. These are made from very rare metals and very hard to get them in Porswea."

Anton reached into one of the hidden purses. He had not gone through one yet, and Verona and Kal had a few hidden on them as well. They would not be poor just yet. When he brought out four gold coins Madam Higgins eyes flickered with something before it disappeared. She took the coins and gave Anton the change and the rings. They felt extremely heavy in his hands, though extremely warm. He wanted to see them on the girls fingers right away.

"I hope that you three find happiness."

Anton looked at the rings, then back up to her. "We will. I know we will. Have a good day."

She gave them a polite wave as another person moved to the counter. This person looked especially rich, and rude, judging by the way he looked down upon their very presence. And the throng of servants and slaves behind him, all keeping their heads low, only added to his dreadful image. He sneered at everyone while Anton could only sigh at the sight. He had no intention of staying any longer than he needed to.

"Come on. Let's go." Anton held them tight as he led them out of the store and into the street, avoiding all contact with the deeming man. The moment they were free Verona started bouncing infront of him.

"Can we have them now?" her words were almost a plead, they sounded so desperate.

Anton relented and took Verona's left hand. She looked at him a little quizzically, he hadn't told her what was done on Earth, and gently slipped the ring onto her finger. Bizarrely it was almost the right size. When it was on Verona retracted her hand and held it close to her chest. She held it close for some time before she brought it up and looked closely at it, her hand just inches from her face. A smile crept onto her face as a tear trickled down her face, quickly brushed aside. She coughed to steady herself and looked at Anton.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." she spoke in barely a whisper. "I'm never letting this go. Never."

She flushed a little more before shaking her head and looking intently at Kal. Anton turned as well.

"Now, Kal, this might be a little difficult..."

"We can do it when we get back to the Inn." Kal's voice carried a tiny note of disappointment which she tried desperately to hide. "I can-"

"Nope." Anton and Verona said simultaneously.

"But... Here?"

Anton nodded as he moved forward and held Kal's left hand, leading her and Verona away from the main thoroughfare and to the side of a plain looking building. Virtually no one looked at them now. Anton moved to block their vision, held Kal's hand up and began to pick at the tightly wound cloth wrappings. Kal quickly understood and took over, mumbling a small apology for how tightly they had been bound. Finally a finger, the same finger that Verona's ring lay on, was freed to the light. He felt her nervousness and promised himself to do it quickly.

The green and white ring slid onto her finger, but it was a little tight. Kal's fingers were a little longer than a humans, and a little thicker, especially with the short green fur and pads on the underside. It didn't go all the way but made it to the second knuckle before he could feel that going any further would bring her pain. He let go of her hand. Kal's first instinct was to cover it again but she held back for a moment. She stared at the ring for some time, while the other two kept a look out for anyone getting too close. Kal quickly wrapped the finger, thought there was a certain happiness, almost giddiness, to her actions. When she was done, giving one last pull to make sure it wasn't going to come off, she looked straight at him.

"Thank you. I...Again. I never thought anything like this would ever happen to someone like me. I'll always treasure this, and what it means. I'm not going to let this go."

"Maybe we could get Jonathan to make it a little bigger?" Verona said as she held up her own. "I think it's meant to go here rather than where you've got it."

Kal nodded and placed her right hand over the ring. "I might have an idea about that. And a good chance to test out my prayer power." She cleared her throat and began speaking in a tiny whisper. "Tethra, Goddess of Prayer, I ask that you make this ring large enough to fully slide over my finger."

It was almost impossible for Anton to tell if Kal actually used her magic or how much but, judging by the deep breath that immediately followed the prayer, it appeared to work. Kal wiggled the ring, through her wrappings, over her knuckle and to the base of her finger.

"Thank you, Tethra." Kal said softly. "For everything you continue to give me."

"We've still got one more ring to give out." Verona smiled wildly. She opened her hand and Anton gave her the ring. She smiled and motioned for him to hold out his left hand, quickly sliding on the ring. The black ring on his finger felt very cold, and heavy. As the seconds passed it began to warm through his skin. He felt his face heat up as he looked at it. He was married, to two beautiful and loving women. Being married to one woman seemed a little far fetched. Two was just fanciful. Anton, without warning, brought them both into a big hug. Both squeaked in surprise as they were slightly crushed in his arms before they returned the hug.

"What we just did doesn't count as our wedding." Anton said as he parted, keeping one hand on their waists. "We'll have a proper one when we get back home. I just wanted to do this the second I had them."

Verona pulled him down and kissed his cheek, Kal took his hand and held it tight.

"So, um..." Anton stammered to try and find the right words. "Ah, my new wives, shall we go discover what Virgil was on about?"

Anton felt really awkward using that word. He had not thought that he would be able to call someone his wife, let alone the word wives. Verona laughed and smiled, holding his right arm and twisting it around her waist and entwining her hand through his. Kal hesitated for only a second before copying her. Anton felt the heat returning to his face as both pressed their bodies into him. He coughed and nodded the direction they came, moving back into the crowds. He kept them close as they headed towards the location of the Graterious Mercenary Guild, unaware of the pairs of eyes following them from the shadows.