Abigail looked at Vincent. Her boyfriend's face was bloodshot red, and he was sitting there like he had just seen a ghost. She had never felt an aura that strong from anyone short of Adamantium. It was clear that his spiritual being was also just as strong as his physical. She wasn't sure what to say in this situation, if there was anything she could even say that would make anyone feel better. She felt helpless. She walked over to Vincent and tried to comfort him in the best way.
"I shouldn't have gotten so frustrated with him." Vincent said, voice shaking, "I got so offended. I felt as if he was attacking all hunters for being soulless, without remorse for the dead."
"Did you notice he gave thanks for the food before eating it?" Abigail asked.
Vincent's eyes went wide even more… "Damn. No"
Vincent got up to go towards Ob's room. He wanted to apologize. He felt awful.
"You won't find him in there," Eclipse said, not looking at them. "He left."
----------------------------------------
Ob needed some air. They were on the second floor of the building. Ob guessed that it was a 20 foot jump down. He looked and decided to try anyway; he did pole vault in college, he figured. He'd be fine. Ob jumps out the window with a free fall; as he gets close to the ground, he tucks and rolls, like he has seen people performing parkour have done, feeling nothing. "Hmm, well, that was pretty damn cool." He said to himself, grinning like a little kid, "maybe I should try a superhero landing next time."
He stood looking at the window he just jumped out of. He had been so busy he had not even taken the time to observe the buildings. They were amazing. They all looked like gothic churches in European countries. The building that he lept from was graphite gray. It had some stained glass with two tall spirals scratching the sky. Ob's eyes went wide. So much of his time here, in this world, had been spent fighting or fleeing. He was told that the world is full of beauty and wonder. All he had seen was violence and gore and assholes.
He looked at his fists. Rotating them back and forth and staring at them. Feeling the manna surge through his knuckles, wow, he thought, amazed at his power. This feels incredible. Ob thought the feeling was like how your body feels after a good stretch, but it was more intense. It felt powerful; it felt like small sparks coursing through his veins as he looked at his arms, looking at the veins popping out of his arms; he began to wonder what he looked like.
Ob left the alley that he had landed in and made for a shop. He wanted to get new clothes. He wanted a weapon. I need a weapon. Punching people is not going to be sustainable in the long term, especially with Diedra. She grew to that wild monstrosity and I couldn't get close to kicking or punching, Ob thought to himself. He didn't like talking to himself, but he oddly found it calming after all that he had gone through.
Entering the main avenue of this tiny little town, Ob was struck with the smell of food, incense, and body odor. A strange combination for sure, but it felt comforting. Ob walked up to this vendor who was selling what looked to be smoothies. "Ay, what can I do fer ya traveler?" the vendor said.
"Hey, whatcha selling?" Ob asked.
"Ay, I sell juices made from these fruits here; there is a local farmer round her that drops off some of these fresh fruits." the vendor continued.
“Sounds, good. Hey man, what's your name? I'm Ob," he said, offering his hand to shake. "I'll take what the town's favorite is. Mind if I watch how you do it?"
"Ay, you must be a very distant traveler. Most people don't talk to us like that, ya see. Ay, the name's Loiven," Loiven said, shaking Ob's muscular hand. "The town's favorite is this here. It's got a sweetness to it but a lot of good stuff in there ta make ya grow big in strong, although ye don't need," He said, shaking his head and chuckling. He noticed the fruit Loiven pulled out looked very similar to the guava. He watched as Loiven pulled out a giant long sword and cut the guava looking fruit in half and watched him blow ice over the guava looking fruit half. Turning the edible part to an icy consistency. Loiven then pulls out a mixture of spices and pours them onto half of the guava looking fruit. Loiven then threw the whole thing into the air once again, blowing the juice concoction. As it was coming back down, he pulled out a big bowl and smashed the frozen juice concoction.
“Ay, here ya go Ob” Loiven said. Ob looked at the drink and got excited.
"How much do I owe ya?" Ob asked, taking a sip of the frozen drink.
"Ay, on the house Ob the traveler, thanks for being so kind," Loiven said with a genuine smile.
Ob accepted the complimentary drink, looked at the tip jar, and added 100 gold pieces. He nodded his head and walked off, continuing down the main avenue. As he continued walking down, he came upon a shop. The window display had many weapons. He entered the store.
"Oh, hello," an elderly woman's voice said as Ob entered the shop. "How may I be of assistance?"
"Hi, ma'am. I'm Ob," Ob responded with a gentle smile, "I am looking for a weapon that would match my powerset."
"Nice to meet you, Ob; my name is Janice. You must be a bit more cautious mentioning your powerset. It would get people to look into you more carefully, Draconian."
Ob's eyes grew wide, and he felt the manna in his body start to head down into his belly. He was getting ready for a fight, another fight. He was not ready for another one, not against this old woman. Janice was small, with cloud-white hair; she had wrinkles all over and walked with a slow limp.
"Relax, Ob. I am not your enemy. I saw your battle with the succubus that one night. You and your dragon fight with such passion and love. Your connection is unique. It is one that I think could change the world to not be so afraid of these beautiful creatures. But be warned I am not everyone."
"Thank you," Ob said respectfully. "I will be more cautious, I hope to change the world, but first, I have to be able to protect myself."
"Come closer, please grab my hands." She takes Ob's hands and starts touching his palms. Her eyes start glowing solid white to match her hair. "Your journey has been hard getting here. I sense the pain in your aura. Ah yes, there it is. I think I have the perfect weapon for you, young Draconian." As she let go of Ob's hands, her eyes returned to her gray color. She turned right away and headed to the back.
Ob kept searching the weapon's shop while Janice went to the back. He peered at swords, bows, wands, and staves; all of the weapons were so cool. He felt that they were straight out of the video games that he used to play when he was younger. He absent-mindedly thought of home; he wondered if anyone missed him, if Charlotte regretted what she did if his adopted parents even cared. What was happening? What would happen if he went home? Would he keep his powers?
He rubbed his face and felt the stubble. This was so different. He didn't feel the same; he felt like his core was the same, but everything else was much different. Looking around the store, he found a mirror; nervously, he walked over to it. As he looked into the mirror, he saw a rugged face looking back at him. His eyes he looked at his eyes. They looked like mini solar eclipses. They were beautiful, he thought. They were calming. It was all about balance; the moon had to be the exact distance to cover the sun while the sun was in the perfect position. It takes precision. He felt as if his eyes were reflective of his entire being. Something so beautiful but rare, something so natural but dangerous to look at. "I don't mind the stubble now that I can see it. It makes me look older and stronger?"
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"Here we are," Janice said, interrupting his thoughts, "I think this is perfect for you." She presented Ob with this long box. The box was probably 4 feet long. It had gold trim with a dark gray interior with some intricate designs mixed in. "This is a scythe of the Ryagnor clan. They were once a powerful clan of draconians. They were adept in magic and in weapon combat. This Scythe can perform both magical attacks and well, physical."
Ob's jaw dropped. The Scythe was beautiful. The bottom of the Scythe had a crescent blade. The main blade was platinum with a golden trim. The blade was extremely sharp and could be used for a fair amount of cutting damage. The handle of the staff was beautiful as well. It was a rod made of dark orange and shimmering onyx, dark and orange, that matched him and Eclipse. The scythe blade itself was a powerhouse. It was made out of a Damascus mixture of obsidian, platinum, and onyx; it came out to be jet black. Sturdy, durable, lethal, and magical. The blades hummed. Three separate blades looked like a pointed dragon's claw. The blade bodies, each individual stacked on top of each other, would all converge as it got closer to the point to form one sharp point, capable of poking an eye out and slashing like three dragon claws.
"This Scythe," Janice continued her explanation, "was built with a staff bottom and staff pole, which allows the magical properties to be increased. It adapts to the wielder's powerset. It is unique that way."
"I-I don't know what to say; it's perfect," Ob could barely get the words out. "How much?"
"For you Ob, 5000 gold pieces, this is a bondable item." Ob gawked at the price. He had yet to learn exactly how currency went, but he remembered from Eclipse that 1500 was usually a year's worth of wages for ordinary folk. He needed a weapon, though, and he had the money. He accepted and handed the money over.
Item: Scythe of the Ryagnor Clan
Bondable Weapon
Legendary
Crafted by the smiths and magicians of the ancient Ryagnor clan, this Scythe is deadly in power and magic. The Scythe can be named and bonded to a user's aura in order to match its abilities to the abilities and powersets of the wielder. Would you like to bond? Yes/No?
Yes.
The bonding process has begun. Would you like to name Scythe of the Ryagnor Clan? Yes/No? This option can be updated later.
"Yes, Hades." Ob said, loving how it reminded him of death and his love for Greek mythology, which made the choice simple.
Hades has been bonded to Ob Jones. Hades has a status update to view.
Weapon: Hades
Bondable Weapon
Hades has adapted to Ob Jones.
Hades now has the power to release the fire of a dragon.
Hades now has the power to deal damage scaled up to monsters or enemies in the wielder's tier or higher.
Insufficient Soul Manipulation level to use spiritual attack ability of Hades.
When wielded, Hades adds +5 strength +5 Manna.
Ob couldn't speak. This was an amazing weapon. He wondered if his other skills would open up more powers for Hades. He picked it up. It was very heavy. It had to weigh close to 100 pounds. Janice showed him that he could use his aura and soul to reduce the weight and even make it smaller so that he could put it in a sheath across his back.
Ob thanked Janice for the weapon of all weapons. She thanked him for the sale while reminding him of her warning. Not everyone was a supporter of draconians.
Ob walks out of the store and continues down the main avenue, looking for a clothes and armor shop. He figured he would need more than one set of tunics. He hadn't asked Abigail, but he assumed the tunics were all magically enforced to clean and repair themselves, or at least some of them. Ob liked his dragon tunic, but he wanted something less draconian.
He stumbled upon an armor shop. It looked like it was for heavy-duty armor. Hoping that there were some tunics for more agile types. As he walked into the store, this was the first store that had multiple people in it. Two tall, beautiful women turned their heads to see him walk in. They looked him up and down as if they were searching to find out why this man was near them.
"Sorry, sweety." One of the tall women started to say, "Draconians are not welcomed here. Go find patronage someplace else."
Ob ignored the rudeness and stupidity he felt from them. He capitulated and turned to walk out. The same woman started laughing, "I'm joking. I'm joking. I don't even know if you are draconian, just your tunic." She was still laughing. "What are you looking for, friend." The two women reminded him of the Amazon women. They were towing over Ob. They both had bronze skin and bronze eyes. Their hair was sun-kissed brown. The one who spoke had her hair long and down in a practical ponytail. The other one had her hair up in a bun. Ob was not used to being shorter than most people, let alone women.
"More tunics, "he said with a serious face. The two women doubled over in laughter, clearly impressed with this young man. The other one smiled a smile that was genuine from ear to ear. "I'm Ob," he offered to the store clerk, who was enamored by the dashing woman.
"Reginald," the skinny man said in an accent that was very butler-like, taking Ob's hand in his and shaking it. "How may I help you, Ob?"
Before answering, he turned to the two women and gave a respectful nod, knowing that they knew his name now but did not offer theirs. The two looked back at him and said their goodbyes to Reginald. Then walked out without another word.
"Amazing aren't they?" Reginald asked.
"I'm looking for a few more outfits; all I have right now is this tunic, and well, it doesn't get too much love." Ob replied.
Reginald laughed, "You are right there, sir; Dragon tunics are great armor and very sleek. However, they are not loved by most people. I'll tell you what, they provide ideal bonuses, maybe I can make them into different clothes that are less draconian but keep the same bonuses?"
"That would be great," Ob said gratefully, "Any other suggestions you have for someone who is new in the magical arts? Armor or outfit wise?"
"Hmmm," Reginald thought carefully, "You'll want to have some formal wear if you go to big cities; they are more… strict than these small towns you happen upon surrounding them. How about this, I'll grab your measurements, and you come back in two days, and I'll have your new dragon armor, formal attire, and additional armor?"
"Sounds good, I'll buy one more set of tunics just so I can leave here clothed," Ob said with laughter, "How much will all of that cost?"
"Of course, of course, decency is key," Reginald chuckled, "that'll be a total of 600 gold pieces. You can pay at the end if you'd like."
Ob pulled out the amount of gold he needed and handed it to Reginald, "I got it here, thanks boss! I appreciate you." He shook the tailor's hand and walked out.
After having felt like he had a successful day of shopping, he checked in with himself emotionally, "I'm feeling better. A little guilty as well, I shouldn't have reacted so harshly. I need to apologize. I am feeling a lot more. Balanced." He started to head back to the inn they were staying at. The sun was starting to set, and the sky looked like a mix of cotton candy on fire; it was breathtaking. Ob stopped walking and just stared at the setting sun. He took a really deep breath in, slowly exhaling. Whatever happened to him on Earth, he was positive being here had slowed his life down, and he loved it. No matter how annoying the creatures here were, how hideous some monsters were, or how rude some people could be. This world, his new residence, was still beautiful, and he had only seen one small town. "There is a great big world out there, I am stoked to see the whole thing." He continued his walk and found the inn.
Ob walked into the room to see the trio in almost the exact same spot as when he had left them.