Max looked down at Jahrod proudly, a pile of bones from the defeated Skeleton Warrior between them. Did he really expect this grumpy dwarf to congratulate him on their victory? Jahrod jabbed his toe into the pile of bones, an armor shoulder guard falling off the pile, and then he walked to another pile of bones.
Max wondered what the dwarf was doing, because the Skeletons were clearly defeated, then he got it. Jahrod was looking for loot.
Max checked the inventory of a nearby defeated Skeleton Warrior.
>
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> Skeleton Warrior inventory:
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> • Rusty armor
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> • Dull sword
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> • Worn spear
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> • Burning torch
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>
All the Skeletons had the same equipment. It was all useless junk, except for maybe the torch. He snuffed out the flames and dropped the torch into his satchel. He still needed a way to light it. Maybe he could find a box of matches. But then one Skeleton caught his eye . . . something glinting on its bony finger.
>
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> Max finds gold ring.
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>
Max took the ring and dropped it into his satchel.
“Hey, Mage,” Jahrod said. “I worked to defeat these Skeletons, too, you know. Loot should be shared.” Jahrod pointed his axe at Max. “Put the ring down on a rock, and I’ll cleave it in twain, and we’ll have half each.”
Max took the ring out of the satchel. He tossed it up and down, considering whether to toss it over to the dwarf and let him have it.
“Half a ring sounds about as useful as a chocolate coffee pot.”
“You talk in riddles,” Jahrod said. “Put the ring down, and I’ll take my half.”
“But what good is half a ring?” Max said. “The value of the gold is one thing, but the ring has value as an item of jewelry that is greater than the metal alone.”
Jahrod lowered his axe and studied Max. “I s’pose,” he said with a suspicious growl.
“Why don’t we take it to a store and sell it and split the coins?”
Max looked Jahrod up and down. He was short and broad, heavyset, big beard, clad in heavy armor, and wielding a two-headed axe. He looked passingly similar to Tibult, the storekeeper from the town of Burke.
Jahrod nodded but continued to regard Max with suspicion. “That makes sense. Hand over the ring and follow me.”
Max gripped the ring. It was not a huge amount of value, but Max wasn’t going to be told what to do by this dwarf.
“Follow you?” Max said. “Where?”
“I am heading to the city in the heart of the Kingdom of Faregent. The city of Ralynn. I am going to save my nephew. He started working in the castle of King Glynn. But the word from the castle is that the king has been corrupted by a dark force. Some say it is spreading all over the lands.” Jahrod poked a pile of bones. “The same darkness that is bringing forth these undead abominations all over the lands, I’ll wager. My nephew sent word that he wants to leave the king’s service because too many strange creatures come and go, agents of darkness. The king is isolated with only one advisor.”
“I know King Glynn,” Elderon said, stepping up to Jahrod. “King Glynn of Faregent. A big and strong man. A just and righteous man. Youngest son of old King Heth. I am distressed to hear he is succumbing to the darkness.”
“He is isolated,” Jahrod said. “His only daughter locked up by advisors. His advisor is fully corrupted. The daughter, held in the dungeons, is being turned to the dark. My nephew says in a letter that the castle was once happy and bright, but now, it is filled with tormented cries of anguish.”
Elderon turned to Max. “This is all the result of the dark portal. I advise that we go to the king and try to save him from the darkness before he is lost to it forever. If he can be saved, maybe it can help us find a way to combat the darkness, maybe find the dark portal itself.”
Max tossed the ring up and down. “We’ll come with you and aid you, Jahrod, if you will join our party.” He tossed the ring to Jahrod who snatched it out of the air.
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> Jahrod Irongut, Level 12 Fighter, joins Max’s party.
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>
“Very well. And if you help me save my nephew, I will let you keep my half of the gold ring.” Jahrod threw it back to Max.
Max felt this was his ring in any case, but he didn’t want to introduce Jahrod to the ancient rites of finders are keepers and losers are weepers for fear that the grumpy dwarf would chop him off at his knees.
After checking the rest of the Skeletons for loot and finding none, the party set off over the meadowlands into the heart of the Kingdom of Faregent.
“What about hearing back from the Mage Council?” Anita said to Elderon.
Max pricked up his ears. He was curious, too, but moving on was better than sitting around.
“The Mage Council will make their ruling known to me. I can get their message from the next Mage Stone, or if it’s important, they will send a Mage to find me to deliver their ruling. Either way, I feel it’s important that if I am to counter the darkness that is spreading over the world, I need to discover more about it. That is reason enough we go to see King Glynn, and if we can save him from the darkness, so much the better. We will learn what we can from him about this dark phenomenon.”
Max watched his feet as they walked. He couldn’t help thinking that he was part of the problem, part of the reason for this dark phenomenon. If he hadn’t tried to steal from that laboratory and that experiment had not activated, then he wouldn’t have been transported here. Janet the lab assistant wouldn’t be trapped in the void. Somehow, he’d opened a portal that had transported him here. He watched Anita as she ran off ahead to scout the way, her fighting skirt flying about her hips as she ran. Max was glad he’d been transported here, but maybe he had a duty. Now he was here to make sure the corruption that was spreading through the world was stopped. He certainly had to save Janet. He didn’t want to go back though. He liked it here and felt at home already. He had friends here.
He checked his stats in the clouds overhead. They formed in the wispy white clouds and showed him.
>
>
> Name: Max Lightfoot
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> The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
>
> Class: Mage
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> Level: 2
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>
Back home, he was nothing special. Here he had exciting abilities. Yes, Max liked it here. He liked Elderon, and he liked Anita. He even liked this grumpy dwarf. As they marched together, Max noticed Elderon casting a spell on himself. The old Mage was tiring but not showing it and forcing himself through the fatigue with magic. Max and Jahrod were striding ahead and matching each other step for step. Max still felt fresh and could go on for another couple of miles without rest, and he realized that he and Jahrod were competing with each other, finding out who would tire first. They marched on all the day until a town appeared in the distance.
Anita came back to the party at a jog.
“It’s the town of White Raven,” she said, pointing with her staff. “We must hurry before they close the gates at sundown.”
The gates of White Raven reminded Max of the town of Burke. Her heavy palisade with its high walk and the guards patrolling looked identical. A boxy gate with guards standing there was slightly different and had a large white bird painted over it. Elderon addressed the guards, and the party was allowed to enter. Max felt tired the second he walked through the gates and onto the paved main street. While they stopped to get their bearings, a horn sounded, and the guards closed the heavy timber gates.
Looking out across the town, Max could see clouds drifting up into the darkening sky. It didn’t look like smoke. Then he caught the smell of the vapor.
“Can you smell the hot springs?” Anita said. “White Raven is built on hot springs.” She smiled at Max. “I can get a bath here.”
“First stop is the store,” Jahrod said.
They walked through the narrow side streets following Jahrod, who seemed to know his way. He led them to a well-stocked store. The walls of the store were made out of huge boulders of stone topped with a thatch-covered timber roof. Smoke rising from a cooling forge sat outside. There were large melee weapons in various states of design that were being put away by a store hand before the store closed for the night.
Elderon led the way, ducking in through the low doorway.
The storekeeper was a thin, pale man. His black hair sat on top of his head like molasses. He wore a long black robe and had a monocle in one eye. He was studying a small item when he looked up to see Max and his party enter. His eyes widened, and the monocle dropped.
“Welcome to my boutique. I am Samuel. Everything is quality. How can I help you adventurers?”
Max held out the gold ring.
“It’s a nice item,” Samuel said. “I’ll give you one gold for it.”
Jahrod bustled forward, looking mean.
Max spoke before Jahrod could swing his axe.
“There’s more gold in this ring than in one gold coin, good merchant.” Max said. Although the old saying was that flattery would get you nowhere, he also knew it was the key to success in a haggle. “You have a fine store, and I’m sure you’ll be able to sell this quality piece of jewelry for six gold.”
“Eight,” Jahrod said threateningly.
Samuel looked down at Jahrod. “You are no doubt a powerful Warrior, Master Dwarf,” Samuel said. “But this is my business, and threats don’t work.” He looked back at Max. “I give you two gold.”
“Four.”
“Deal,” Samuel said, dropping four gold onto the counter. Jahrod swooped them up in his fat hairy hand and gave the coins a serious bit of scrutiny. He selected two for himself and dropped them into the little pouch on his belt, and he handed two others over to Max.
>
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> Max gains 2 gold.
>
>
Max strolled around the store. He saw movement in the shadows in and amongst the shelves. Clearly, store imps were in every store. The shrieking little creatures kept a beady eye on any strange customers. And there were few stranger than Max, a visitor from another dimension, Elderon the old Mage, Anita the sexy Druid, and Jahrod the grumpy dwarf.
“Here, Max,” Elderon said. “Come and check these items.”
Elderon was standing with a rack of leather clothing items. He was pointing at one leather tunic that was padded and looked firm but flexible.
“This is good armor leather.” Elderon said. “You can wear it, retain all your active spells, and it won’t interfere with casting.” Elderon picked the leather tunic off the rack and flexed it this way and that, then he laid it over his arm. “It would be a good purchase for you today,” Elderon said.
Max took hold of the leather tunic. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a store imp looking at him, a squeak in its voice threatening to rise to full-on shriek. Max ignored the little imp and pulled the tunic over his body. It fit perfectly.
“How much for this leather tunic, Samuel?” Max asked, heading to the counter.
“Excellent choice, good quality, excellent for your purposes, young Mage. A leather tunic will deflect missile weapons, blades, and can protect against crushing from clubs or other weapons of that type. An excellent choice! You clearly have a really great eye for this sort of thing.” Samuel walked around Max and adjusted the leather tunic over his shoulders and his sides, brushing imaginary dust off Max’s shoulders. “Yes, yes. It suits you perfectly.”
“How much?” Max said again, tired of the sales pitch.
“It’s a well-made item from a master craftsman. You should be able to imbue it with magical abilities as well when you develop the skills, which I am sure you will do. You will be happy to pay twenty-two gold.”
Max checked his inventory. He had easily enough gold, and if Elderon told him this tunic was the right choice, then he decided it was for him.
“I’ll give you ten,” Max said.
Samuel laughed and patted Max on the shoulder. “Nice try, young Mage. Twenty-two it is, and that’s my final word.”
Max looked Samuel in the eye, and he was sure he would not get a better price from him on this day. He handed over the coin.
Max fastened up the leather tunic and walked up and down the store. He checked his stats in the smoke from the fire at the far end of the sales counter.
>
>
> Max gains Padded Leather Armor.
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> Max gains armor bonus against slashing attacks, crushing attacks, and piercing attacks.
>
>
“Come, let’s find us a tavern and guest rooms,” Max said. “We won’t sleep in the wilderness tonight. Let me pay for a basic room for us, even you, Jahrod.”
Jahrod’s grin rustled his beard. “I know just the place.”
Outside, the sky was black and cold. They followed Jahrod, and every step took them closer to the sounds of a tavern.
The busy tavern was off the main street, a two-story town house with stables on one end. It had thatch roof on top of white walls with the timbers of the heavy frame showing. A picture of a crown on an old oak tree hung above the door.
Inside was warm with a large firepit. The smells of ale and food made Max’s stomach rumble. He went to the tavern keeper and arranged to rent a room for the night before ordering food and ale to be brought to a table.
Anita stepped up to the bar next to Max and spoke to the tavern keeper.
“And do you have a hot bath?” Anita ran her hand through her hair. “I have been running up and down hills for days, and I could do with a good soak.”
The tavern keeper nodded and called a tavern maid. The young girl led Anita off for her bath. She looked back over her shoulder at Max.
“Don’t wait for me,” Anita said as she was led up a narrow stairway.
Max sat down at a table with Jahrod and Elderon. A meat pie arrived along with tankards of ale.
“Do you have any scromble?” Jahrod asked the waitress.
The waitress wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “We don’t serve scromble.” She walked away and gagged as if she was trying to get a bad taste out of her mouth.
“What’s scromble?” Max said.
“Food of the dwarfs and the gods,” Jahrod said.
Max glanced over to Elderon, who wrinkled his nose at Max.
“Let’s call it an acquired taste,” Elderon said.
As Max carved out a slice of the huge meat pie, a troop of bards struck up a tune. The townsfolk danced on the timber floorboards, and Max was sure the Oak and Crown tavern would collapse any moment. He ate his fill and felt tiredness overtake him. He decided to go find his room and left the table, bidding Elderon and Jahrod a good night.
“Don’t forget to prepare your spells, young Mage,” Elderon said.
Max nodded. He walked through the tavern and into the rear corridors. It was dark here. He wanted to test his abilities, so he prepared his Sneak ability. He found he was able to move without being seen. A serving boy came from the kitchen with a large platter of fried crispy vegetables. They looked and smelled like fries, and Max picked one off the top of the platter without the serving boy noticing. He ate the fried vegetable, which was crispy and delicious.
Max found his room along the dark corridor. He stopped outside, hearing sounds behind the door. He grew excited, thinking maybe Anita had finished her bath and was preparing for bed. He would dearly like to spend time alone with Anita. She was fascinating and beautiful and definitely more exciting to be around than the beady-eyed old dwarf and the old Mage.
Max was about to enter when the door was pulled open. Standing in the doorway was a man in a tight black outfit. Max checked his stats.
>
>
> Name: Assassin
>
> Status: Hostile
>
> Attack: Poison dagger
>
> Threat level: Lethal
>
>
Max held still and pressed himself to the side of the wall. The assassin looked left and right. Max held his breath and stayed perfectly still, hiding in the shadows using his Sneak ability. The assassin moved off and checked the next room.
Just as the assassin left the next room, another door opened on the opposite side of the hall. Out of that door came a second assassin. They conferred silently with each other using sign language. One took a piece of parchment out of his jacket, and the pair checked a charcoal portrait drawn on it.
Max saw it was a drawing of him.
Max backed along the corridor and around the corner. He opened the first door he came to and stepped into a room filled with steam and the smell of soap and perfume. He crept through the mist, still in Sneak ability, still hiding from the assassins.
He needed to tell Anita and Elderon it was not safe here. There were assassins. And they were after him.