Mark was now laughing freely as he playfully ran from Ras into the absolutely huge opening on the other side of this place.

The entry lead to a cave like room, with an unknown light source beaming down on all things in it, and with a ceiling so tall that it could only be seen occasionally as little clouds floated near it.

”Don't go in yet, i want to give you a few things first, don't want you to get hurt so soon either.”

They walked back away from the edge of the circular rest zone, and into one o the small shops built against the wall, this one had tables on the “outside” hidden from the light under a red tarp that hung from wooden scaffolds just a few feet above him.

this place was practically packed full of items of all kind. The corner of one table clustered with a bunch of bracelets and rings with the rest of it exposing a series of swords alternating from pointing to and away of him, yet another half covered in shoes,boots and leg protectors with the other half filled with chest plates.

“This place is a mess, it's a miracle no one has tried to steal from whoever owns this place.” Mark said shocked at the lack of organisation and security on this place.

“Oh, many have tried but they don't go far with what they took.

Ras quickly picked up a ring and chucked it out the store only to have it boomerang back a few feet of the entrance, hit the ground on its side and roll its way to one of the table legs which it climbed, falling back in place, slowly spinning to a stop just like a coin.

- Me and Rock used to compete between each other testing our strength by seeing who could pull an object further away from the store. But that's besides the point, let's get you some equipment, im not paying more than 700 coins though.

”cheapskate.” he said in o joking tone followed by an equally mocking reply of “broken bastard”.

“you mean broke?”

“you damn well know what i meant, i'm just a little rusty, that all!” he retorted lightly slapping Mark in the back of the head.

The first thing they looked for was a weapon, something Ras insisted was the utmost essential item to have in this place. They went past a variety of weapons as they looked for something adequate, simitas, lances , some katanas at which he frowned immediately, and one of the goofiest weapons he had ever seen, looking like a regular sword upon the table but drooping it's blade to the ground like overcooked pasta, a fucking whip-sword he quickly set it down before his mind was able to imagine how much of an idiot he would look like swinging that thing around.

he finally settled for a small dagger and a polearm from the bundle of weapons exposed.

“Boar spear pretty good for the first levels, it will serve you well.”

the next thing they looked for was a pouch and armor, or what could pass for it as the prices on them seemed to be exorbitante for some decent things, this time he couldn't choose so openly, picking only a simple but sturdy backpack made of two layers of burlap stitched on all sides and some arm and shin guards made of dried leather, shaped into place and lined with a rough but still softer cloth which covered respectively from the elbow to the wrist, and from the knees to his feet.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“What's next, are we missing something? or can we go already?”

“you could get something to help you further, but i dont have the money right now to buy you amulets. So maybe next time.”

Mark jolted in place as he remembered something “ hold on i've got these rings here, is that what you've been calling amulets?” he said pulling out the two highly detailed metal objects.

Ras took a quick look at them and his face turned into that of surprise for the briefest of moments followed by a more permanent frown of sadness and a bit of suffering.

“Those rings… they belonged to him didn't they..?To Rock?”

he seemed to whimper a bit as he tried to hold back some tears.

“what's wrong?” Mark asked trying to calm his alien friend down a bit.”why are you crying”

“im.. im sorry its just that, i already expected him to be dead but i had hoped that maybe he had just moved away or something but i … i hadn't really accepted that reality , that's why i also hadn’t asked you about him, i had hoped he might have lived… that he might have survived but if you have those, then he truly is gone.” Ras slumped down the nearest wall still inside the store trying to stop himself from having a mental breakdown.

mark stared at his crying friend the only thing really able to describe him being: loss… of a friend, a comrade and most likely someone he considered part of his family.

“Here! Have them, i understand that they are important to you.”

“No, keep them. They will be more useful to you and Rock would have said so too.”

Ras asked for Mark’s hand as he set himself back up.

“let's pay for this and see what those rings do.”

they both walked behind a curtain in the very back of the store where brown statue stool.

Shaped like those wooden movable mannequins, it seemed to be made of an omogenous brownish clay a few shades darker than terracotta and with a red insignia made of extremely thin crystal for a face.

Ras placed a few coins atop the “salesman’s” hand, having them sink into it like a metal ball on honey.

“Could you tell the boy what these rings do?”

the figure’s “face” blinked twice as the information was passed onto Mark.

Ring of the lizard tribe.

A ring used as a symbol of maturity amongst the lizard kind.

This ring was forged by their metalworkers and imbue with a bit of their strengths as a tribute to a member of another species, for his self sacrifice in their times of peril.

enchantments:

Skin change.

Lowered metabolism.

enhanced resting regeneration.

Ring of the clinger I

forged in a planet of nomads by Crux, a man who refused to leave anything behind, he would exert himself to the brink of death in order to take all of his possessions, he studied for a long time the arts of crystal blessings so he could create this first prototype from a perfect agate found in one of his journeys.

not enchanted.

weight reduction 18%.

weight redistribution.

“come on put those on, you’ve got a few levels to conquer, and i don't wanna waste time Mak.”

”you mean Mark?” he asked mocking him a bit?.

“Rock told me all about human weak spot, dont test me or i'll throw you to the ground and tickle you to near death like he once tried to do to me.”

mark couldnt take it anymor and fell to the ground gasping for air.

“Whats so FUNNY!?”Ras yelled at him

“YOU!”