Draya walked into Gromphy’s lab and saw the goblin crafter standing motionless behind his table. Two items sat on the stone surface, each pulsing with power. One was the Frosthold, a tesseract bound by dragon fire with a cold vortex in the center. Draya had acquired it on a mission she and Psycho had undertaken at Gromphy’s request. However, the goblin crafter had no idea they would bring back a cold mana source with such power. Gromphy had spent the better part of a week trying to figure out how to combine it with the second item on the table.
“Is that the mana core you got from the Armadillion?” Draya asked, stepping closer to the table. The amorphous stone was confusing to look at, almost as dizzying as the 4-dimensional cube sitting next to it. The lump of stone shifted and pulsed with power, constantly changing its form randomly, occasionally spewing molten rock. At times, it looked as clear as glass but would then change to quartz for a few seconds before taking on the multifaceted appearance of a diamond.
“It is,” Gromphy replied, not looking up from his crafting table.
The side the goblin stood on was raised to accommodate his short stature, and Draya approached the opposite side, her head about the same level as the crafter. “Have you figured out how to merge the two?” As she spoke, the mana core discharged another blob of lava, accompanied by a gout of flame. Jace was a stone shaman, and he could use this core like Draya used the dragon mana core inside her, but his vulnerability to fire damage was a problem. The core in its current state would likely kill him. That was what the frost core was for.
“I have not,” Gromphy answered.
Draya frowned. The goblin's flowery speech had always been something she enjoyed, especially when he was throwing insults at Esther that the rogue didn’t understand. Since the loss of Adam, the goblin had been despondent and short on words. Jace had promised to find a way to get the golem back, but it was clear Gromphy had given up hope.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Draya asked. “I’m in school, as you know, and I have access to lots of books and research.”
“Jace is Ordered,” Gromphy said in an even tone. “This is chaotic. It must be shaped to a more structured form. I hath not the tools nor skills to accomplish it.”
“But you can do anything.”
“It requireth a sculptor’s touch, not a crafter. Secondly, it is alive; this is not.” He pointed at the Frosthold. Draya knew that Gromphy had asked for the mana core of a frost salamander or ice worm. Those would have also been alive. Instead, she and Psycho had brought him an inanimate object. Infinitely more powerful but missing a key component.
“Thricely,” the goblin continued. “Jace is an orc, wholly different from the beast from whence this came. I need a spell to span the gulf. Jace hath no innate mana-bridging ability.”
“Ah,” Draya said. “You mean a bianthropic transmutation alteration to his mana core.”
Gromphy finally looked up, a thinly veiled look of awe showing through his dour visage.
Draya smiled back. “I told you; I go to school. I know stuff.”
“Doth they teach thee pyromania?”
“Huh?” Draya asked.
“Pyromania,” the goblin repeated. “A disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to start fires deliberately.” To Draya, it sounded like he was quoting from a book. “Nal Saikol said he caught thee burning trees.”
The mage frowned. “And he told me he wouldn’t tell anyone.”
“Secrets burn a hole in our soul faster than any flame.”
Draya frowned at him.
“Doth though have a secret to share?”
“Are you suddenly the stronghold psychic?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration, though secretly longing to tell him. “If you must know,” she finally said. “This dress you gave me is cursed.”
“Aye,” the goblin replied. “Twas our intention.”
“But did you mean to put a demon inside it?”
Gromphy raised his thick eyebrows but said nothing.
“Well, you did,” she said. “He’s the pyromaniac, not me. In order to keep him happy, I need to burn things. Don’t worry, the trees will grow back.”
“Indeed,” Gromphy replied and looked back at the table.
“Anyway,” she continued, “I came here to say that Jace messaged Psycho. He’ll be logging in shortly. We are going on another mission. You should get ready.”
“Bah,” the goblin said, almost spitting in disgust. “He hath no need of me. I am not a warrior.”
Draya shrugged. “Psycho said Jace said he would need everyone. Don’t kill the messenger.” With that, she spun around and left the lab.
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Partumopolis sat at the southern base of the mountain range that divided the main continent from East to West. The city was filled with music, art, sculptures, and fine dining. Waterfalls cascaded down the snow-capped peaks, glittering in the sunlight. Green fields with vibrant wildflowers surrounded the city's southern side, greeting the visitors as they exited through the travel node. The stylistic architecture combined with the vast mountain range behind was reminiscent of quaint European villages tucked away in the Alps.
“It’s beautiful,” Esther said once Jace had transported his motley crew to Rock Bender’s home city. “Why have you never taken me here before?”
Jace ignored the question, assuming it was rhetorical. Partumopolis was one of the few Non-PVP cities in the realms that wasn’t specifically designed to cater to lower level players. Few, if any, quests originated here besides simple fetch-and-retrieve missions from local crafters or chefs looking for rare ingredients. With the types of adventures Jace and his party undertook, they wouldn’t likely visit this location.
Esther wasn’t wearing her traditional armor but sported her short, black dress and skipped ahead down the path amidst the flowers like Red Riding Hood on the way to visit Grandma. Colorful attire would have been more appropriate, but Jace doubted the vampire rogue would ever wear anything other than black.
“She’s in a good mood,” Psycho said.
Thankfully, after explaining all the missions to the CIA last night, Jace and Gracie had gotten approval. They had been forced to tie most of the quest to real-world criminals, but Jace had told his party members their primary focus was to help Esther. Psycho understood best the limitations placed upon Jace by his employer and asked if there was something more at stake, so Jace told him.
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Likely, the ranger didn’t fully grasp Esther’s rollercoaster relationship with his leader. Psycho’s relationship with the orc shaman was 100%, and Jace was willing to bet it had been 100% with Drescher too, even though Psycho had hated him. The elf ranger was too honorable and devoted to his loyalties to accept anything else.
“Why shouldn’t she be,” Draya replied, always quick to defend her friend. She skipped ahead after Esther, Snowy close behind.
“Anything you need me to watch out for?” Psycho asked as the three males followed the women. Gromphy pulled up the rear, unlikely to ask any questions.
“This is a Non-PVP zone,” Jace said. Even so, he was using his illusion necklace to disguise his appearance. Walking through the city as an orc might not get him attacked, but it would certainly cause a commotion. He appeared as a human just over six feet tall, about the same height as Psycho. “I probably won’t need your help for a while. I don’t know our next stop, but keep your eyes peeled.”
Partumopolis kept its quaint mountain village vibe as the group moved through the cobblestone streets. Bakeries, flower shops, and jewelry stores kept distracting Esther, and Jace fought hard to keep her on track. She had spent the last two nights sleeping in his stronghold, and Draya told him she had gone down to Crestfall for pancakes this morning, so she shouldn’t be hungry.
Rock Bender’s gallery, the Artist’s Alcove, sat along a bubbling stream on the edge of town. It had a vast manicured lawn with countless exquisite sculptures standing amongst eloquently shaped hedges. Most statues were of the naked variety, with surprisingly accommodating diversity. Males, females, half-orcs, elves, dwarves, and even a few goblins and kobolds stood in the open with nothing to hide. These sucked Esther in even more than the baked goods, and she tugged on Draya’s arm to draw her into the forest of ivory and marble figures. The younger woman attempted to show reluctance but was soon just as enthralled as her friend.
Jace ignored them and led Psycho and Gromphy to the entrance. An expansive veranda with embossed pillars supporting a flower-covered pergola guarded the arched front door. Jace was astonished by the opulence. No cost had been spared in constructing this building, and the extravagance didn’t end once they got inside. Gold, silver, and jewels adorned every inch of the framing, with paintings and sculptures covering each wall and pillar.
Jace’s group wasn’t alone in the art gallery as at least a dozen other NPCs and PCs wandered about looking for things to buy. Gracie told him she was watching for any international bad guys, but the crowd was relatively innocuous. Jace wondered why players would waste their gold on virtual artwork. However, when Esther ran up to him, asking if they had brought Gromphy’s storage chest because she found a statue she absolutely had to have, he realized other PCs needed to keep their NPC companions happy too.
“We’re here on business,” Jace replied. “Who knows, if we help out the owner, he might be willing to reward you with anything you want for free.”
This knocked some sobriety into the woman, and she fell in line behind her leader as he wove through the congested displays. Besides getting game notifications every time Esther tried to steal something (but failed), she didn’t pester Jace further.
Rock Bender was easy to locate. The dwarf had a desk on the gallery's upper level, giving him a view of everyone perusing his wares. When Jace spotted him, he was shaking the hand of an elf, having concluded their negotiations. The owner spotted Jace in the crowd, and his bearded face parted in a grand smile. As the shaman led his group up the broad staircase, he saw the elf move along the balcony that ringed the second level and enter one of the numbered doors lining the wall.
Two empty chairs sat before Rock’s desk, and the excited merchant beckoned his guests forward. “Jace Thorne, Esther Xerxes, and others, please, please, make yourself comfortable.” He cast a spell, and three more chairs appeared, one of them goblin-sized. Jace and Esther sat down. Psycho refused to make himself comfortable and kept his eyes on the crowd below as he wandered along the balcony with Snowy beside him. Draya looked uncertain, knowing that her boss often wanted her to watch the premier, but she felt her fire attacks disabled in this environment, so she also took a seat. Gromphy frowned at the smaller chair and chose to stand.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to visit? I would have had something prepared. Are you hungry? Do you want something to drink?”
“No, thank you,” Jace said.
“Yes, please,” Esther said.
The dwarf smiled, adjusted a few pieces of jewelry to signal his ever-vigilant waitstaff, and sat on the raised chair on the opposite side of the desk. He was high enough to look his guests in the face. “Rarely do I get such honored and respected customers. Why have you come? Did you see anything downstairs that you liked? Perhaps I can interest you in a portrait. I am usually busy, but I can squeeze you in.”
Jace raised his hand to stop Esther from listing the dozen items she wanted and stared hard at the dwarf. “You know why we are here.”
Rock’s cheerful disposition darkened a bit, most notably in his eyes, but his mouth kept a broad grin. Before he could reply, two human waiters approached carrying trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres. They were placed on an empty section of the large desk, and Esther reached for the offerings hungrily.
The dwarf gave the woman a moment to stuff her face and responded. “Yes, I expected a visit like this eventually. I know your reputation for doing the impossible and solving the unsolvable, but I don’t think I am ready to give up yet. I see you have an empty spot in your party, and I am not so naïve as to think you can’t steal her.” His eyes went to Esther, and Jace could see the distrust in his gaze.
“I assumed you would have your reservations, but I assure you, my only desire is to see Leah freed from the shackles of her quest. It is having a negative effect on my own relations.” Jace nodded toward Esther, who had a look of ecstasy on her face from the food and wine, showing no sign of discontent or that she was paying attention to the conversation. Jace tried to ignore her. “However, I will need Leah in my party temporarily to aid you in this.”
Now anger was visible in the dwarf’s furrowed brow, but Jace raised his hand again before he could speak. “So, I offer you a trade. I will take Leah with me to solve her quest and leave behind my crafter. Surely, you have heard of Gromphy, the best crafter in the realms. He may lack an artistic touch, but in just a few hours, he can craft dozens of items that will expand your selection beyond what you can imagine. I’m guessing you have access to several unique components.”
This was shocking to Rock, and he leaned back in his chair. “I have never traded companions before.”
Jace hadn’t heard of it either. Gracie had been the one to suggest it yesterday when they had spent twelve hours planning these missions. “The trade can last as long as either player desires. At any moment, we can cancel the trade and ownership returns exactly as it was. There is no risk to you that I will wander off with your companion, and if I do, you get to keep mine.”
Rock frowned. “You don’t understand the dire situation I am in. If I let her out, she will wander off on her own. Even if you don’t have her, I won’t be able to keep her.”
Jace guessed their relationship score was well below 50. “Then your plan is to leave her locked in a room forever? I assume she isn’t willing to work for you with her quest unsolved. As I see it, you have nothing to lose. Let her come with me, and if I solve her quest, she will return to you with a much healthier relationship in an environment that must appeal to her.” Jace motioned around the gallery.
“If I fail, and she leaves you, then you had a few hours of my crafter working diligently in your workshop, which is more than you have now with Leah indisposed.”
Rock put on a pensive face. “What are you getting out of this? Are you doing this out of the goodness of your heart?”
“If he doesn’t do it, I’ll find someone who will,” Esther said between mouthfuls, letting the men know she was half-listening to what they said.
Jace looked at her. That hadn’t been rehearsed. He knew she was guile and likely just helping him out, but part of him believed her. Rock looked between the two characters. Jace only shrugged. “Fine, but only on one condition: I go with you. There are only five of you; a sixth won’t get in the way.”
Jace nodded and navigated into his inventory to send Rock Bender a trade request: Leah Jacobs for Gromphy. After a few seconds, Rock accepted. Jace exited his inventory and saw the dwarf smiling and standing up. Jace followed suit, but Esther stayed sitting. Jace looked down at her, crumbs on her lips, her food momentarily forgotten as a puzzled expression crossed her face. She looked up suddenly. “Jace, what just happened? Is Leah a member of our party now?”
Jace looked confused. “Yes. I thought you’d be happy.”
“No,” she replied, rising from her chair and brushing her hands on her dress. “We can’t do that. I promised . . . uh . . . him that we wouldn’t take my sisters into our party. It was part of the deal.”
“It’s only temporary,” Jace replied. He looked at the dwarf. “Rock won’t let me keep her anyway. But I need her to trust me, which is best accomplished if she is part of our group.”
Esther looked torn but eventually nodded. Jace still didn’t know who her mystery man was and now feared he had nefarious motives. Jace couldn’t think about that now. He had to concentrate on the task at hand. Psycho had wandered off on patrol, and while Rock talked to Gromphy, giving him directions to the lower level where his own crafter worked, Jace called his ranger back.