Chapter 43: Puking, Training, and Complaining

“Why is it always me?”

//Because they’re your scrolls//

“Because you made the scrolls, Book.” Tak echoed the glitch in my…uh, Sia.

“Hunh. Get on with it, we have a quest to train for.” Good ol’ Rolf.

“Yeah, sure, OK,” I rambled. “Just, you know, go easy, alright”

Kolin’s grin did nothing to reassure me. He tightened his grip on his arming sword, loosening up with a few practice swings. Crap, this was going to hurt, wasn’t it?

//Yes//

I readied the [barrier] scroll, snapping it open with a wrist flick. Once it unfurled, I activated it with a small pulse of [mana], thinking ‘kinetic’! The ink ignited, burning through the parchment, the whole process taking about a second. A faint haze surrounded me like a second skin, molded to my body. Here it comes.

Kolin brought his sword down in an overhand arc, crashing against my shoulder with enough force to stagger me. It didn’t hurt, but it did push against me, causing the stumble. He brought the weapon around in a reverse arc, striking my other shoulder. I stumbled another step. Next came a thrust to my sternum, and another step back.

So far, so good…Ooof!

A horizontal cut to my gut had me doubling over, exhaling explosively.

//Ouch//

‘Ouch?!’ How are my guts not spewing out my mouth? Retch-urp! I vomited on my shoes.

“Ah, Book! You splashed me.” Kolin wiped puke from his speckled face.

“Gross, dude,” Tess chimed in.

All my group, except Paytin (//Workaholic//), was there to…ahem, support me. Magali made a sad face, while Tak laughed so hard she was clutching her sides.

“Traitors.” It was hard to put much venom in the word, as I retched in the middle of it.

“Hunh,” said Rolf. “Only three strikes before collapsing. Not much use in battle.”

“Ah, but,” Tak jumped in, her sales personality in full swing. “Those could be three very important blows. Imagine it, you are on your last legs and your opponent is still standing. You take what they think is the final blow, and surprise! You cut them down as they celebrate. Perfect use for one of these scrolls, am I right?”

“Or,” Tess said, a thoughtful look on her features. She didn’t usually advocate for our sales, wanting to stay neutral for her future place as an adventurer. However, this had the feeling of self-interest. “You charge in, ignoring three strikes for the chance to get in close and skewer the fucker.”

I knew she had a violent streak from our first encounter, using a hunting knife to take out the lemba’oat—my name for the lemur-bat-goat (//Clever, you are not//)—‘bite me, Yoda’. Since we rejoined civilization, that thought has moved to the back of my mind. Not anymore.

“Vicious, I like it,” Tak said.

“Practical.” Tess’s focus came back to the present.

“Hunh.”

“Sounds good to me, Rolf. When my sword connected it felt like I was hitting hardened leather armor. A little give; a good amount of resistance. I would use it.”

“I wouldn’t get hit.” Rolf gave his team member a slight look of disappointment. “Hunh.”

Kolin grinned, not taking offense at the jab.

Rolf looked to Tak, knowing she was our point person. I was trying to breathe normally.

“Fine. We’ll take ten each of [torchlight] and [heat], all the [heat-blast]s—Baltha likes them—and three of the [barrier]s. For Kolin.”

Kolin’s grin grew wider.

Baltha was Team Brawn’s spellcaster, a short, rotund elf always dressed in soiled robes. I didn’t know if she was a [Mage], or something else. She carried a pair of wands stuffed in her belt and her matted dreadlocks were festooned with tiny, animal skulls. Was [Witch] a class? If so, she fits the bill.

//Jerk//

‘No, no, I don’t mean it in a bad way.’

//Un-huh//

‘Seriously!’

//So, are all women -‘itches to you?//

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‘Stop it, Sia. Remember, I have real people to talk to.’

My internal argument caused me to miss the final sales number, but I knew it had to be good from the looks on the others’ faces. But I did have one thing to add to the price.

“Training, too,” I said.

“Hunh?”

“Defense training, for me—Tess—and the rest of us, if they want it.”

“The girl is already hanging around, training,” Rolf said, motioning to Tess. I don’t think she liked being called a girl, judging from her scowl.

“Official training, whatever she wants.”

“I can’t make her a team member…”

“Not what I want, dude.”

“Fine, but she gets any training she wants, OK?”

“Hunh.”

I took it as a yes and moved on. “I only want enough so I’m not completely useless in a fight. Scrolls are my jam. Magali? Tak?”

“I am pretty good with a staff,” said Magali, surprising me. It seemed he had depths I didn’t know about. He never struck me as a fighter, before. “I would be happy with some sparring.”

“I…yes.” Tak pushed her pride aside. “Medium armor, shield, and blunt weapons.” She had that loaded and ready.

“Anything else?” asked Rolf, his eyes squinting tighter at every request.

“Magali? How about Paytin, do you think she’d be interested?” I asked as he knew Paytin the best. “Not that she has much time available.”

“I do, yes. She likes small knives, daggers. I think she might be interested in some [Rogue]ish training.”

“That is enough, and I want claim on the next batch of [heat-blast]s.” Baltha fairly bounced on her toes at her team leader’s counteroffer. “And toss in another three [barrier] scrolls, while you are at it.”

I only had two left, and I had mentally earmarked them for Tess when I saw enthusiasm for them. “I’m out of those right now, but I can throw them in with the [heat-blast]s when they are all ready.”

“Hunh, deal.” Rolf held out a meaty hand to Tak, inviting her to shake on it.

“Deal,” Tak said, after waiting for a nod from me.

Did I feel slighted, Rolf looking to Tak and not me for the agreed-upon terms? A little bit, yes.

//Poor baby//

‘Hey, I do the work! And it was my idea. I wasn’t sure if Tak wanted it, however.’

//Me too. That one can swing either way//

‘What’s that…?’

“You supply your own armor and weapons. I am not running a charity for wannabes, hunh.”

The others looked hesitant, but I jumped on board. “No problem.” We could figure out the logistics later.

“What’s with you guys?” Asked Rolf quizzically. “Are you planning on joining the Matriarch’s tournament and forging a Guild Team?”

“Us? Mother’s Bark, no.” I was quick to say. Shudder. “We are just a bunch of apprentices—mostly—but we were ambushed a while back, and some of us…well, me…did not do so well.” I very carefully didn’t look at the fiery redhead, even though I honestly didn’t hold anything against her. I hadn’t the chance not to react, what with being snatched up and crushed by that big thug, Jhok.

“That’s right, Rolf,” Kolin spoke up, him being the one to pull our fat out of the fire. Him, and Tess. “I told you about it, Team Nightshade jumping my friends."

“These guys? And they lived? Hunh.”

“Barely, I said. "If not for Tess and Kolin, well…it doesn’t bear thinking on.” I wanted the man to know of Tess’s contribution, and to not take her lightly.

//You are not trying to protect her, are you Mr. man?//

'As if.' If she ever thought that, I was dead meat.

“We were told they like revenge,” Tak said. “I heard they were back on the streets, already. Probably bribed someone for early release.”

“Excuse me?” This was news to me, and my heart quickened a beat. “Were you planning on telling us, Tak?” I was incredulous.

“Sure. It just hadn’t come up yet.”

“Hadn’t come up…?” My voice rose an octave.

//Be cool//

“Tak,” Magali scolded. “You need to work on your communication, alright?”

“Whatever.”

Rolf snickered at the byplay, enjoying himself thoroughly.

“Yeah, I’d say you need some training, if Nightshade is after you, hunh. A big enemy for such little…apprentices.”

I wanted to be offended but had to face reality. Besides, I was the one who had asked for the training.

“Kolin will set things up. I’m done until you have more scrolls to sell.” Rolf turned and walked away without so much as a nod, clearly dismissing us now that we didn’t have anything else to offer.

We turned to our adventurer friend, expectant looks on us all.

“First, guys, we need to get you some physical training. Tess is already in it, way far ahead.”

Tess smirked, enjoying the praise.

“Do any of you have armor? Or weapons?”

“I have my staff, but no armor.” Of course, Magali would be somewhat prepared, more so than the rest of us.

“I might be able to get some if my Father lets me borrow his old gear.” Tak looked nervous at the prospect of a confrontation.

Tess and I shared a look, then shook our heads 'no'. I was a little surprised she didn’t have any gear squirreled away. We did have our original knives, from the Orcs.

“Any thoughts on what directions you want to take?” asked Kolin, all business.

“Like I said, Paytin will most likely want daggers. I don’t know if she has any, for fighting that is. She has plenty of blades. I need some sparring against different weapons, and I might have an idea about armor for myself. I’ll need to do some thinking on it.”

“I have some ideas, too,” said Tess. “I need to check in with a weaponsmith to see if they can make what I want. Also, I want some of Book’s scrolls, especially the [barrier]s. I’m going for close-quarters combat, so something light and flexible for armor.”

Light and flexible? If I was doing in close fighting—CQC, for those of us in the know (//Geek, video games don’t count//)—as described in all my reading, I would personally want the heaviest armor I could lay my hands on. But Tess was speedy and agile. Cheer-leading, track, and various martial arts had been good to her.

“Custom weapons are expensive, so you are aware? Good. Now, Book?”

“Yeah, Kolin. I don’t plan on getting closer than I have to. Yes, gals, laugh all you want—‘that includes you Sia’. Some general self-defense, maybe a simple weapon, like a small mace or club. As I told Rolf, scrolls are my thing, so I’ll be the spell-caster of the group. Or maybe a Guild team, ha! Can you imagine? Not me, no way, no how.” Magali laughed with me, and the fact Tak and Tess didn’t unnerved me more than I care to say.

//You’re foreshadowing, you dolt. Why can’t wannabe writers turn their imaginations off?//

‘Real life, not a story. Got it.’

“OK. I can work with that. I know Tess has some money saved, and you others seem to have a connection, but what about you, Book?”

“Broke AF.” I gave him my best shit-eating grin. “Don’t know why just me, since we are all apprentices.”

“Master Alric,” stated Magali.

“Yep,” confirmed Tak. “He is a well know miser.”

“Except for on himself, yeah, yeah, I know. One of his robes could pay my share of the rent for a couple of months. Speaking, of…here Tess,” I handed over my two remaining [barrier] scrolls. “Rent. I’ll need to dip into our profits a bit, to outfit myself. Consider it an advance on my pay.”

“Sure,” Magali said, with Tak nodding somewhat reluctant.

“Great, that’s settled. I can recommend some fair-priced shops for equipment, not that any of you besides Tess need anything more than the basics. For you, Tess, I know of some good smiths. Alright, now let’s get moving on some physical training.” Kolin said this last with an evil smile.

“Whoa, now? I have stuff…”

“Now, Book.”

Aww, I was still recovering from hauling furniture earlier in the day. Whose ideas was this anyway?

//Yours, dumb-@ss//

“Move!”