Chapter 45
After they had eaten their meat on a stick the group had set off again for the bank.
The group had waited in the blue painted wooden cart for Jay as he ran in to the bank and deposited his three and a half gold and arranged for a safe deposit box. Jay was briefly led in to a room full of safe deposit boxes and he deposited his upgrade stone for now. There was no rush in using it just yet.
Jay arranged with the bank representative to have a message sent to his financial advisor and fixer Boland. Jay scribbled a note to him just letting him know of the fresh deposits. After that had all been taken care of Jay left the fancy looking building with tall columns and wide doorways behind and rejoined his friends in the cart.
“Where to next?” Aiden asked without opening his eyes. He had laid back in his seat and propped up his feet.
“Well I'm done for now. We can head back to The Guild and hang out until tonight. Maybe go out once it gets dark? I assume there are plenty of things to do in the city on a Saturday night.” Jay answered while smacking Aiden's feet off of his seat so he could sit down.
M'redith laughed, “I'm sure we can find something.” She leaned in to Jay after he sat down as she wrapped one arm around his. The cart rocked them back and forth slowly as they traveled and Jay found that he almost preferred it to the smoother ride of a carriage. It was more relaxing.
They arrived at The Guild and after paying for the cart the group trudged off to hang out in Jay's room until dark. Aiden had stopped off at his room to drag back an extra chair to sit in since they'd be there a while and everyone met at Jay's room. Jay left the two in the sitting room and went to his bedroom to grab something. He returned with his Toy Chest and set it on the table in the sitting room.
“That should have two more toys now if I understand how it works correctly.” Jay said while pointing to the Toy Chest of Class Choices.
Aiden grinned and opened the lid as the side of the box lowered to the table like a ramp and toys began to spill out of the box. First came a bright yellow and green parrot screaming UPGRADE. It flew over to M'redith and perched on her finger while preening itself.
The next toy was an orb that sparkled as if it were made of glitter. It rolled around the table as if it had a mind of its own. Aiden picked up the orb and turned it over in his hands. As his skin touched the orb he could hear waves and seagulls and caught the scent of the beach. He could put his hand inside the orb if he tried hard enough. “What does this thing do you think?”
Jay pointed to a stain on Aiden's shirt. “Try that.”
Aiden brushed the orb against the stain and could see it slowly transform from a stain to a clean spot on his tunic. It took a while, longer than thirty seconds but you could watch it work. “This must be the one for your Tropical Island Aura.”
M'redith had caught the next toy that came out, a small square dirt field only a couple inches long on each side. M'redith played with it until she found the treasure and grinned. “Treasure Sense.”
The final toy came out. It looked like a tiny boss monster, a blond haired naga that Jay recognized as Peril. As the tiny Peril would begin to cast an attack a pattern would form on the table around her in red showing where the attack would cause damage. A short time after which the attack would go off. Sometimes it was a handful of tiny green poison bolts. Other times it was a flick of her muscled tail that would shoot out with a sudden flick. The tiny toy monster wandered across the table trying to attack whatever it could find.
Aiden poked the tiny boss monster in the belly with one fingertip and it hissed at him. A line of red formed on the table between the toy and Aiden's fingertip and a second later a tiny poison bolt flew out and struck his finger. “Ouch. That tickled.” Aiden said in a deadpan voice. “And this one is definitely for your Fancy Footwork ability.”
Jay leaned back in his chair and watched his friends play with the class ability toys. Sometimes they would try to combine the toys, like using the Tropical Island Aura to clean off Peril from Fancy Footwork after she had slithered through the tiny Treasure Sense dirt field.
The toys would even play together - with the toy Sunny taking Peril on a wild goose chase across the tabletop. Whenever toy Sunny got tired or bored he'd just fly back over and land on M'redith's finger as she always made one available for him.
A knock sounded at the door and Jay looked up in confusion, “All my friends are already here, who could that be?”
Aiden chuckled, “You need more friends.”
M'redith shot a playful glare at Aiden, “Or better ones!”
Aiden flicked some dirt at M'redith from the dirt field and M'redith cleaned it off using the Treasure Sense orb that wandered about the tabletop before setting it back down and rolling it towards Peril.
Jay got up and answered the door. There was nobody there. Jay was about to close the door when he noticed an envelope taped to it. Jay grabbed the note and shut the door behind him. Dropping himself in to his seat his friends didn't even look up from their play as he opened the envelope.
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He took out a single thick card, the size of a birthday card. The front of the card was dark blue, almost black, with green and pink orbs of light drawn in. The words were written in neon blue and almost seemed to glow on their own. It had the word PARTY in large brightly colored letters across the top of the invitation.
You are cordially invited to a night of relaxation and enjoyment this evening at Redgrass in celebration of new ownership. This is a private invitation and may not be sold or transferred. No more than two guests permitted. Doors open at 10pm.
On the back of the invitation was scribbled in messy handwriting:
Wear your title and mask to the VIP door! Dress formal! -W
“Well I think I know what we're doing tonight. I guess we're going to a party?” Jay asked.
M'redith read the card and whooped. “This is great! Redgrass is a party house, very pricey, difficult to get in to. Just getting on to the list is difficult, usually only the well off get in. I've never been but it looks amazing!”
Jay looked skeptical. “Are you telling me that you have dance clubs here?”
“Like, a place only for dancing? Sure, those exist but aren't the same thing as what you got invited to. Party houses are more like a place you can go and grab a drink or something to eat while doing something else fun as well. They have live music, darts, some places have Dungeon Room setups, card tables, that sort of thing.”
“Every place is different but Redgrass is fairly upscale. Someone invited you to a nice place. I bet they don't even have meat on a stick there.” M'redith said with an amused glance over at Aiden.
Aiden groaned. “Are they at least going to feed us you think?”
“Don't worry,” Jay said, “you're my guests. I'll cover it if the food isn't free. At least as long as you're reasonable.” Jay said with a mock glare at Aiden.
“I'll be good. Promise.” Aiden said with a face that promised everything but.
Jay shrugged,”No worries. I'm sure we'll have a great time.”
M'redith looked at Jay thoughtfully, “I never thought to ask, but who do you think it's from?”
“Oh I know who it's from. Who else would sign with just a W. Walter.” Jay said.
M'redith sighed. “I warned you about him.”
Jay nodded but smiled, “You did. But so far all he has done is send me on trips in to dungeons, hand me bags of gold, and offer me a party invitation. As bad guys go he's doing a lousy job of it so far,” he joked.
“Ok. That is a good point. Just,” M'redith began.
“We know, BE CAREFUL.” Aiden finished with an exasperated face.
M'redith sighed, “I just get a bad feeling about him sometimes. That's all. You're right, I've no proof and he's been great so far. Doesn't mean I'm wrong though.”
Jay looked at his friends, “Well now that we're all in a great mood who wants to go out to a party house?”
It wasn't that easy of course. M'redith had to get ready while Jay and Aiden needed to get dressed. Jay wore his black suit with red highlights along with his dark wooden face mask. His title was active and read "The Masked One" over his head. M'redith wore her red dress with black highlights. It had a high slit to show off her legs and she clutched it to her as she walked. Aiden had gotten dressed in a light gray suit.
They walked to the main entrance and found a carriage already waiting for them. Jay had already donned his mask and turned on his The Masked One title. They drew more than one stare as they arrived at the courtyard, or at least Jay did. The driver recognized Jay's mask and title and opened the door for him.
Before Aiden and M'redith could enter they were stopped and both handed black masks that covered their face with holes for their eyes and mouth. The mask was held in place by a simple leather strap that tied off. After they both had put their masks on they were allowed to enter the carriage.
The ride actually took a little bit of time as Redgrass was in the wealthier section of the city. It wasn't walled off or anything, anyone could go there. It's just that no one did unless they were well off. They wouldn't be able to afford anything otherwise – what would be the point of visiting when there were more reasonable sections of the city to enjoy?
The cart pulled up to a red carpet and the driver got out and assisted them down. M'redith stood to Jay's right and held on to his arm with a calm grip. Aiden walked along behind them. The entire section was lit up with magical lighting of varying colors. It reminded Jay almost of an 80's arcade mixed with a red carpet event.
There was a crowd kept back by waist high metal barricades that had been set up. Impeccably dressed, the crowd was not made up of people who could not afford to get in the party house. No, this crowd was made up of the rich and well off – just not rich and well off enough to have made the guest list.
Some stared at Jay's title, others shouted, they wanted to know why his mask was different, still others wanted to know how he had gotten both. There was an attendant, short and balding with a slight paunch, at the end of the carpet who took Jay's invitation before returning it to him in thanks.
The attendant visibly gulped as he stared at Jay's mask and his title. The Masked One it read. He had been told that when a VIP arrived he would know it, he just hadn't expected.. this.
“You are expected, this way please,” the attendant said while he tried to keep his voice from shaking as he handed the VIP party off to a pretty young woman in an understated dress.
She didn't seem upset by Jay's appearance – every guest at the event would be wearing a mask – but his title made her look puzzled for a moment before she caught herself and motioned for them to follow her.
"Follow me," she said as she escorted the three inside the brightly colored entrance.