Fritz strode to the shark's bare underbelly with his dagger outstretched. He found a seam that ran the length of its budging stomach and plunged the bone-blade deep. Then he walked along the shark's length gliding the dagger along and through its thick flesh.
A flood of guts and half-eaten fish spilled out from the gaping rent. It was joined by a large, mildly digested, ball-like package wrapped in oilskin and dark rope. It thudded on the stone and rolled a little, sounding as though it were filled with metal and wood. It was about half of Fritz's height and he bowed ostentatiously as its rolling came to a sticky stop in front of the obviously disgusted, grimacing, women.
"Ew," Veronica stated.
"Foul," Lynn agreed.
Fritz and Bert quickly descended upon the wrapped ball, unknotting the rope and pulling the oilcloth cover away, revealing silver bones, two travellers' packs and lastly two wooden chests to the curious onlookers.
"How on Epsa did you get the shark to eat that?" Lynn asked.
"Covered it in hound meat and pushed it towards it. Or rather, Bert did. Shark did the rest. They are mighty hungry things," Fritz supplied the last drily as if it were obvious.
"What's in the chests?" A now dressed Veronica asked.
Fritz and Bert picked up their respective chests and turned to the ladies, then they nodded at each other and opened them in unison.
"Gold!" They said together, revealing the rows of gold triads within.
Veronica gasped and she covered her mouth with her hands while Lynn's eyes went wide and she grinned even wider.
"You guys are rich!" Veronica exclaimed.
"That's right Veronica, we are very well-to-do," Fritz said haughtily.
"You can call me Vee, Fritz," She replied as the glint of gold was reflected in her eyes. "What are you going to do with it all?"
"Well, first let's get this stuff into the cart, then we...clean up a little," Fritz said looking around at the mess they'd made.
"Good plan, we can chat about cuts and splits when the Treasure is secure," Vee said with a warm, hungry smile and excited eyes.
They quickly got to it, loading all their Treasures into the cart and then covering it with slabs of shark meat, they had hastily carved away.
"Make sure you don't suffocate the hawk," Fritz warned.
"Maybe you should hold and hug it close, like Sid, if it's so precious?" Bert teased.
"Like Sid?" Vee said in a giggling tone. "Fritz and Sid? Hugging? Together?" She asked Bert conspiratorially.
"Fritz and Sid," Bert confirmed, "Found 'em stuck together like skulg."
"Nice, Fritz. Didn't know you had it in you, or rather, she had it in her," Lynn laughed coarsely.
Vee went into something of a fit of giggles while Bert grinned stupidly. Fritz felt some heat flushing to his face but he refused to give them the reaction they were looking for and simply said, "That's right, me and Sid. So very amusing."
"It is!" Vee agreed, "She's all tough and you're all...you."
Fritz tilted his head arrogantly and scoffed, these idiots didn't know the first thing about passion anyway. Their best idea of romance was a couple of shots of the roughest spirits in the dingiest bar and a quick frisking in an alley. He snatched up the packaged hawk and it shook in his grip with a small squawk.
After the laughter died down Vee said, "Sorry, it's just very cute."
"It was sickeningly sweet, and they took forever to come to their senses 'cause they're both idiots," Bert added. "It was a headache and a half, true as the rain."
"Let's stop discussing my personal affairs and get to hauling this stuff out, we still have to get to the new safe-house," Fritz said, letting only a little of his agitation show.
"Right you are, all this girl talk is making me ill," Lynn responded with a light punch to his shoulder.
"Boo!" Vee and Bert clamoured.
"Get the rest of the shark back into the water, and where's… the body?" Fritz asked over their complaints.
"Oh, that eyesore. I threw it in the lake out by the Spire," Vee said offhandedly.
"Did you at least loot him before you did?" Bert asked.
"Of course," Vee replied incredulously. "He didn't have much on him, except this." She held out a triad pouch "And this" she added showing off a carved wooden bracelet rattling on her wrist.
"It's probably best to keep that hidden for some time, don't want to bring any attention," Fritz said.
"I know that. I'm not an idiot," Vee said. "Same goes for those boots though."
Fritz's shoulders sagged as he realised she was absolutely right.
"Damn it!" He yelled then stomped off to collect his laceless too-big boots. He placed down his hawk package to free his hands but he didn't bother taking off his magical boots as they fit him like a dream. Instead, he forced the grey leather boots over the top of them.
They mostly fit, but it was definitely less comfortable, his feet and ankles squeezed tight by the obscuring layer of leather and his steps landed harder, like a bull’s, despite his Grace.
He trudged back, bird in tow, to see Bert and Lynn pushing the butchered remains of the shark into the lake and Vee using the bucket to splash away the organs, blood and viscera. Fritz knew they wouldn't be able to hide that something big and bloody had happened here but he at least hoped to obfuscate the details enough that it wouldn't lead back to him and Bert.
He helped pull in the nets and ropes, piling them in the cart and on their shark flesh, creating layers of junk to better mask the real Treasure. With his free hand, Fritz secured the cart's cover and turned back to his crew.
Lynn and Bert were chatting animatedly while washing their hands in the lake while Vee waited by the entrance keeping an ear out for trouble.
"Come on, Bert, get to pushing, we don't have all day" Fritz said as he strode into the tunnels, leading the way through the dark and winding path.
Bert grumbled something under his breath about Fritz being a slave driver in another life and grunted as the cart's wheels began to creak and grind against the stone.
Though Fritz felt that things had gone relatively smoothly so far he couldn't help the niggling feeling that something was about to go wrong, that they were about to be caught or the cart would break or some other disaster would befall them. The pressure kept mounting and he sweat slightly as he watched and listened for danger. But his fears went unrealised. They made their way to the heavy door and were out and into the rainy alley without a single thing going amiss.
"Seems like luck was on our side," Fritz whispered as he unwrapped the hawk, freeing it from its bindings and throwing its thrashing form at the cloudy sky. It quickly righted itself in the air and flapped furiously, fleeing to its perch upon the building opposite them. It let out a screech dripping with avian displeasure and Fritz threw it a strip of shark meat to mollify it.
"Goodbye Bastard," He said with a wave and his crew echoed his words with their own farewells.
The hawk greedily gobbled down the shark flesh then glared down with a hateful eye and threateningly clacked its beak. So Fritz threw it another.
Then with all due haste, they were off and heading towards the drowned district.
Again Fritz thought they were going to run into some obstacle or be interrogated by drizzlers or some upstart gang. However, they made their way relatively freely, only having to glare at a gang or two to scare them off.
They were also approached by one squad of storm guard but Vee was able to talk them out of their customary bribe. It only took some slight adjustments to her dress, revealing a little more skin than was strictly warranted but muchly appreciated. Then with just a little flirting, they were on their way again, followed only by the idiot, lecherous grins of the drizzlers.
"They didn't even bother to check under the coverings," Fritz complained.
"Too busy trying to stare through my 'coverings' I suspect," Vee said easily.
"True as the rain," Bert and Lynn said together nodding sagely.
"I mean why even bother with all the subterfuge if we can just get past the guards with a pretty face," Fritz continued. "Feels unfair."
"They weren't exactly staring at my face," Vee said with mild exasperation. "And if you got it, use it. Same as anything else."
"True as the rain," Bert and Lynn agreed solemnly.
When they finally reached the drowned district they had to abandon the cart as the streets became far too flooded to traverse for anything other than a boat.
With grumbles of annoyance, and some disappointment Fritz led them forward through a route he had planned earlier. They made surprisingly good time considering the terrain and the burdens they carried and in less than an hour they were in the second-floor room with all the loot.
"Where are we gonna stash this stuff then? This room doesn't seem all that safe," Bert asked looking around at the stone walls and somewhat submerged floor.
Fritz strode over to the wall then pulled the hidden handle revealing the dark iron safe that lay behind. He bowed to his audience. Bert whistled in appreciation, Vee clapped politely and Lynn nodded stoically.
Fritz had the safe open in no time and stored both chests, including the golden seeds within.
Vee coughed politely and Fritz turned to be greeted by her bright smile and eyes glittering with greed.
"Yes?" He asked.
"You wouldn't happen to have a little gold for your loyal helpers would you?" Vee asked sweetly seemingly putting on all her charms and bending a little at the waist so he had a better view of her bust.
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Fritz rolled his eyes. He'd seen this performance just an hour before with the guards and now she was using it on him? He felt that he should feel offended but he really wasn't, if he could get away with it he'd do the exact same thing, especially when it came to gold.
He supposed they had helped a bit, and they should both get something for that. Fair’s fair.
"How about ten gold triads each?" He offered, generously.
She pouted a little, and said, "I'm sore all over, surely you could spare a little more, say fifteen so I afford a hot bath to ease my aches?"
Now that was brazen, a gold triad was a year of savings for a commoner with ample work and would be able to keep you fed and housed for about a year as well if you were frugal. A hot bath would hardly cost a silver.
Fritz scoffed then laughed at her suggestive negotiations and replied, "How about eleven?"
Vee dropped the act, stood straight and began to haggle intently.
They eventually settled on twelve gold triads and a drink at Tallies each, but Fritz also saw Bert tip Vee an extra couple of gold with a whisper and a wink which she returned with a tiny nod, a small blush and an eager grin.
Fritz and Bert kept twenty-five gold each so all in all they were storing away around one-hundred gold triads, a veritable fortune that didn't even include the obviously valuable, maybe priceless, Golden Seeds.
Fritz took "The Observations" Technique book out of his chest along with the goblin chief's ring. He wanted to get them to Sid as promised. He also grabbed the Aberrant Seed to see if he could sell it or preferably refine it in the Upper Ring if the cost wasn't too steep.
Putting some of the Hound's stripped silver bones into his pack, Fritz asked if Bert wanted the shaving kit. Which he refused.
"I'm rich enough to see a barber now, I don't need to be doing these menial tasks for myself," Bert said in a haughty approximation of Fritz's slight noble-born accent.
Fritz shook his head but thought Bert was right in a sense, they could splurge a little, or a lot, with the safety of their immense fortune.
It was a wonderfully freeing feeling, that they could spend comfortably for years and barely feel it. He smiled wide and placed the shaving kit in his pack.
Bert stuffed The Arte Pugilist into his own pack then peered within at the very last of the bull's golden heart. There was a pitiful amount left after all the Treasure filling it was used for. It was barely the size of a fist, though it could possibly be minted into about twenty or thirty triads so it wasn't all bad.
Only thirty triads, he scoffed at himself, it was still a windfall and a half.
Bert added the fist-sized lump of gold to the safe's contents, and after confirming they had everything they wanted to carry around with them in their packs they closed the dark iron door and then the false wall after it.
"Well, what do we do now?" Vee asked the room.
"Now? Now we celebrate," Bert said. "To Tallies!"
"Unfortunately I have duties that will not wait. I have to return the cart, and run some errands, have to prepare for our next climb," Fritz said resignedly.
"Next climb? You just got out," Lynn exclaimed.
"No reason not to get ready for the next one, I want to be climbing within the week," Fritz explained.
"Why? Just take it easy for a week or two," Vee suggested.
"I can't, I need to be more powerful," Fritz stated.
"Why? You're already strong, level ten isn't anything to scoff at," Vee said.
"Not strong enough. I was caught by the bloody drizzlers last night and couldn't fight them off, I'm still too weak to protect myself, my crew and my family,"Fritz said.
"And Sid," Bert added with surprising understanding.
"Well, she can take care of herself, mostly. But yes, Sid as well," Fritz said honestly which elicited an "Awww" from Vee and the closest thing he'd seen to a gentle smile from Lynn.
"Fine," Bert sighed. "I need to go take care of some things too. And Fritz will need some help with the cart. Sorry to stop the party before it's begun ladies but my blood brother needs my full attention."
Fritz searched his friend's overly serious face and saw his amber eyes dance with excitement and avarice.
"You just want to go shopping," Fritz said, figuring out his game in a moment.
"That's right!" Bert grinned back. "Let's spend up a storm!"
"Won't that be suspicious?" Vee asked some worry entering her dark brown eyes.
"Not if we spend in the Upper Ring, countless peoples both local and foreign go in and out of there every day. Just be careful about splashing gold in the Sunken ring, that's bound to cause ripples," Fritz warned.
Vee and Lynn nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of Climbs, you ladies interested?" Bert inquired.
Lynn seemed to think it over but Vee flatly said, "No. It's too soon for me, it was horrible in there. Maybe in a month or a year. We have the time and funds now. So we don't have to rush."
"I'm with Vee," Lynn said.
"We'll only be climbing the Mer Spire. As we don’t have the proper badges to enter the Rain Spire and Nic said it was easy compared to the one we survived," Fritz said.
He dearly wanted to try his hand at the Lesser Spire of Rain with its far more rewarding thirty floors but he also wanted a trusty and larger crew to attempt it. Unfortunately, it was also far more securely watched by both the Guides Guild and the King's Scale Guard, so he’d have to settle for the ‘rookie’ Spire, for now.
"Nic is a monster," Lynn said seriously. "I've been fighting in the brawling ring and I've only seen him fight once. But that's all I needed to see to know he's a vicious fighting genius, there's a reason he's the Nightshark's right-hand man. If he says it's easy it's not cause it actually is."
"Didn't seem that tough, I landed a hit on him," Fritz said defensively.
"He let you," Lynn stated. "If he wanted to dodge he would've. He has a brawler Path same as me and mine Activated Speed and Durability."
Fritz mulled it over and conceded that she was probably right, or would be if Gloom Strike didn’t make his attacks so difficult to dodge. But he could only use three before running out of Dusksong, how many strikes would he have to land to actually wound the man seriously?
"All the more reason to Climb," Fritz said. "So we're not subject to the whims of that thug."
Lynn looked to Vee hopefully who shook her head emphatically.
Seeing that his efforts would be wasted trying to convince them Fritz wisely decided to let the matter lie.
"Might as well get a move on," Fritz stated, hauling his pack onto his shoulders and watching Bert do the same. With that, they left, with heavy pockets and their stash secured. It had been a wonderful start to the day.
They returned to the cart only to find it covered in vermin picking away at their shark meat, the storm hawks, rats and snowy seagulls eating to their heart's content.
Fritz and Bert shooed the scavengers, thankful that the skulg were too slow on their bulbous, warty, milky-pale tentacles to have reached the cart. Otherwise, it may have been a nasty fine or an hour of scraping the vile things away.
"We're off home I think, I've enough excitement for one day," Vee informed them with a yawn.
"We'll walk you," Fritz offered. "I have to hand some stuff off to Tallie anyway."
She nodded in acquiescence and Bert gripped the handles of the cart and began to push.
Now that they weren't hauling a cart full of gold they didn't feel the need to be on the lookout for danger so Fritz relaxed somewhat and they chatted as they walked. Mostly about small things, like what kind of dresses, jewellery, furniture and all sorts of odds and ends they were planning to buy with their newfound wealth.
Bert seemed to be of the opinion that he needed more garish gold in the forms of rings, chains, pins, broaches and buckles. Vee thought he was on the right track and that she wanted something with rubies to match her hair. Lynn said wanted a weight set and Bert said he needed the same, if only to force Fritz to use it.
It was pleasant but soon they were standing in front of Tallies Trawler and saying their farewells.
"We'll see you tonight for a small celebration?" Fritz asked. "After our meeting with Nic."
"Sorry, we’re awful tired and unlike some wealthy layabouts we know, we still have to work, waiting the tables," Vee said.
“You still have to work?” Bert burst out. “Even after you recent windfall?”
“Of course, we have many wants and just as many needs,” Vee said with a sly smile. “This small sum wont cover all our expenses, but it’ll get us a long way along.”
“I see,” Bert said, somewhat deflated.
“See us before you Climb though, we’ll want to drink to your success,” Vee requested. “Oh and Fritz you should go find Naomi. She'll want to see you and thank you as well, it hit her quite hard when we left the Spire without you. She basically threw herself into her alchemy stuff."
Fritz nodded and said, "Where's her sister's stall? I can visit her there and I do want some healing grease for our Climb, might as well kill two skulg with one stone."
Vee gave him directions, gave them both a hug and began to follow into her building after Lynn.
Then she spun, and pattered back to Bert and planted a swift kiss on his lips, before turning and fleeing to the doorway of the tenement and waving a goodbye. Then she disappeared into the building.
"Those are some great ladies," Bert said, still somewhat shocked by Vee’s quick passionate strike, an idiot’s grin still plastered to his face. "Too bad they don't want to Climb."
"Yes, it is too bad," Fritz agreed. "Which reminds me, we'll have to wrangle at least one more person for the Mer Spire. So be on the lookout for potential crew, preferably ones that are willing to carry our stuff and hopefully ones who can keep a secret. I think a six-man team would be ideal though."
"I am in agreement with the wise guide," Bert said with a grin. "I'm off to get some supplies and locate some crew. Meet you back here one hour before dusk?"
With that and a rough hug, they split up. Fritz entered Tallies Trawler once more and Bert made his way to the Upper Ring.
Fritz strode through the mostly empty tavern and waited at the bar for Tallie to appear. It only took a minute before the powerful woman entered through a cellar stairway and smiled at him in greeting.
"What can I get for you this early in the morning, Fritz?" She asked. "Surely not a drink?"
"No, nothing like that," Fritz said reassuringly. "Just have some things for you to pass along to Sylvia." He said handing out a pouch containing the goblin chief's ring and 'The Observations'.
He didn't really want to give the powerful objects up and he considered keeping at least the Technique book for himself but a promise was a promise. And it was sitting in his chest like a cold stone, weighing him down like another chain.
Tallie's eyebrows raised in some surprise and she asked, "For Sylvia is it?" Then she smiled warmly. "My, you are full of surprises, Fritz."
Confused at the statement he was going to ask what she meant when she took the pouch and interrupted his next words, saying, "I'll make sure she gets it, that girl will need all the help she can get. Anything else?"
Not having any more to do here and having many places to visit before having to report to Nic, Fritz shook his head, thanked Tallie and took his leave. There was always some other time to delve into Sid’s secrets, if he actually wanted to do that. No, she would tell him all in due time if it was important.
Next on his agenda was returning the cart, which he did after reselling his ropes and paying for someone to smoke the edible parts of shark meat that remained. They would make good rations for the Mer Spire and their high mana content would bolster his general physique as well.
He reflected that getting his errands done was quite a quick process when he didn't have to haggle for every copper. More benefits of wealth, he supposed, as if there weren't enough.
Within the hour he was back to his hideout, he stashed five of his triads away and got changed, pulling on his finery and grabbing the bundle that was Quicksilver. He was out the door and splashing through the streets making his way towards the Upper Ring without another look back.
He decided to take the gate as he didn't want to ruin his good clothes sneaking and scrabbling over the wall. Again he was met with jarring politeness from the drizzlers as they let him through with barely a word.
"What a difference looking the part makes," he said to himself as he cut through the Upper ring to his true destination which was wreathed in plumes of smoke and steam.
He wandered into the foggy streets of the Steam District, where most of the blacksmithing and other 'dirty and stinking' craftwork was done.
The district was aptly named as the heat of the forges and other fires constantly spewed out billowing clouds of black and grey smoke. The westward wind blew all the terrible air out to sea instead of over the city proper or the other districts.
After asking around for a bit, he got directions to Anchorwrought Smithy and the general opinion of the qualities of their goods. It turned out to be one of the more reputable establishments so he silently thanked Colette and her suggestion.
Once he found the place, Fritz walked in through the open door and found himself in a room adorned with dozens of well-made swords, axes and spears. The air inside was hot and positively reeked of iron. There was not a scrap of armour in sight so he assumed this was some kind of specialist weaponsmith's shop.
He approached a young, muscled man behind the counter who eyed him with a mixture of anxiety and interest. The short man had pitch-black hair shaved close same as his face.
"I'm looking for Bruce," Fritz said confidently.
"Yes, Sir. He's at the forge for the moment, may I enquire as to what kind of work is needed?" The man said politely as the clanging of a hammer striking an anvil could be heard from a door behind him.
"Need a hilt and sheath for my Quicksilver," Fritz proclaimed placing the bundle down with a dull thud. "Colette sent me." He added between hammer blows.
"Did someone say Colette?!" A voice boomed from what Fritz assumed to be the forge.
Some moments and thudding steps later a short, thick-muscled man with the beginnings of a beer belly trudged up to the counter and looked up and over Fritz. He had a round head and a large nose that had been broken more than once.
"Colette sent you to me?" He asked with a tone as tough as his trade.
"If you're Bruce, then yes," Fritz replied.
The man wiped sooty sweat off his bald pate and he grimaced.
"You're not mine are you?" He hoarsely asked.
"Gods no," Fritz said aghast.
"Good, got one too many bastards, don't need another," Bruce said, his bulging shoulders sagging, presumably in relief. The young man frowned at the smith's turned back with some resentment in his yellow eyes that were shockingly similar to Bruce's.
"What do you need from me?" Bruce asked, rubbing his stubbly chin
"A hilt for my blade, and a sheath," Fritz said.
Bruce unwrapped Quicksilver and looked it over with a frown. Surprisingly it wasn't a frown of distaste or scorn like that of everyone else who beheld it.
"Strange material," He mumbled drawing a calloused thumb across the jagged edge and looking a little impressed that it cut a thin red line into his skin. "Sharp and toothed, would work well with any bleeding-based strikes."
"Core looks cracked. But it's superficial, it's solid, dense underneath the fractures. Looks almost like an inscribed rune, one carved by a madman," Bruce continued mostly to himself.
"Where'd you get this?" He asked, his eyes glued to Quicksilver.
"Mer Spire," Fritz lied proudly, actually quite interested in what the smith had to say about his trusty blade.
"Never seen anything like this come out of the Mer Spire, or the Rain Spire for that matter," Bruce said finally looking Fritz in the eye and then glancing over his fine garments.
He raised a questioning eyebrow and Fritz shrugged, saying, "Pulled it off a big swordfish, then it got all melted."
Nodding once and pressing no further Bruce stated, "It's a good blade, if it's from a monster, like you say, then its core is likely able to store and conduct mana better than most unimbued weapons. Definitely a quality Rookie weapon, on the edge of being suitable for a Journeyman Climber."
"Well thank you for rating Quicksilver so highly, but what do you mean by Journeyman and Rookie?" Fritz asked.
The young man let out a huff of derision obviously thinking Fritz was an idiot for not knowing such a basic fact.
Bruce glared at him and said, "Go sweep the forge. George,"
"But-" George protested.
"Go now, you misbegotten lout, or you'll sleep there too," Bruce growled.
"Yes, Sir," George moped as he shuffled into to forge with a broom.
Shaking his head and muttering about ingrates Bruce turned back to Fritz and said, "Meaning no offence, Sir, but you should be paying more attention to your tutors."
Fritz smiled.
"I have been told that before, but would you humour me?" He asked politely.
"Sure. Rookie Climbers are roughly categorised as being from level ten to level fifty-nine, then you're considered a Journeyman at sixty and above."
"What about Experts?" Fritz asked.
"Well Rain City has only one Expert and that's the King, but the requirement for Expert Climbers is level one hundred and eighty," Bruce replied, shuffling a little as if uncomfortable about the subject of the king.
"Seems a little arbitrary, there's a world of difference from a level ten to even a level twenty Climber," Fritz commented.
Bruce shrugged, "I've heard it's more about what kind of Spires you can comfortably climb without a Guide. Minors for Rookies, Lessers for Journeymen, Majors for Experts and so on."
"Huh, any more classifications I should know about?" Fritz asked with genuine interest.
"I'm a blacksmith, not a tutor. Didn't you say you wanted a hilt?" Bruce grumbled.
"Yes," Fritz said. "Can you do it?"
"Yes, any particular material you'd like it made of?" Bruce asked.
"I have some metal monster bones, could you use them?" Fritz inquired.
"Let's have a look."