Chapter 23: Gareth POV, Part 1
The morning sun came and Gareth woke before Storme. Gareth was the heavier sleeper and rarely got up before Storme. He quietly lowered himself down the ladder and dressed. If you were late for breakfast Callem usually was a bit harder on you during training. Well on Gareth anyway. The one-time Callem made Storme do extra work during training Storme made a very bland dinner the next day in retribution and that was enough for Callem to minimize his punishments for being late for breakfast.
For Gareth, though, the sparring in the evening was more intense and required more healing from Storme. It was Callem's attempt to ingrain in Gareth that being on time was important.
He heard Storme stirring just as he quietly shut the door. Damn, Storme wouldn’t be late, but that was ok as he would still get the best portions at breakfast. Storme said he had an internal clock that got him up on time every morning, which Gareth assumed had something to do with his magic.
Gareth entered the farmhouse and started helping Callem and Wynna lay out breakfast. Blueberry pancakes with butter, fried eggs, greasy pork sausage, and some iced tea. Iced tea was another invention of Storme. Tea was supposed to be hot but Storme added some ice cubes, lemon juice, and sugar and made it a great drink to pair with meals instead of something you sipped after a meal to soothe digestion.
Almost all of Storme’s culinary creations were great, except when he started kicking up the spiciness of dishes. He made a ‘five-alarm chili’ for Callem weeks ago, and Gareth’s digestive tract still hadn’t forgiven him. Callem loved it, but the chili burned going down and coming out for Gareth. If Storme wanted, he probably could have made a fortune owning a restaurant. Maybe he could convince Storme to buy a restaurant where Gareth could eat for free whenever he wanted. He would have to wait for the right time to bring this up.
After setting the table Gareth pulled half the pancakes to his plate just as Storme entered. Storme liked blueberry pancakes, and his annoyance showed on his face, especially after Callem and Wynna took all but one of the pancakes quickly after Gareth. The air carried the smell of vanilla into the room from the door. He was a bit envious of Storme’s spells, but he had his own gifts.
He was progressing at a phenomenal rate, according to Callem. In another year, Callem said he would be unbeatable by anyone his age—even the nobles who had been training since they were able to hold a sword. Storme was also doing well with the sword and had learned the sword forms, but Storme had not mastered them. He still made numerous tiny mistakes. When they sparred with swords, Gareth had to hold back enough to make it interesting and improve himself. Storme was closing the gap due to physical growth, but his skill development would never equal Gareth’s.
Both boys were growing quickly, and Gareth was now 6'1" to Storme's 5'8". They were tall for boys their age, and Gareth could pass for a young adult in his second or third year of Academy. Storme barely looked his 15 years, but was growing and filling out. Storme's body type was a bit gangly compared to Gareth's thicker frame. Both boys were well-muscled, but Storme had a much leaner build. Gareth was worried about what his Giant's Constitution ability might turn his body into. Callem had assured him that it would just make him a larger man and not turn his features to mirror a giant.
Both boys ate enough for three boys, and sometimes they made it a competition at meals. Apparently, Storme was not playing the game this morning as he ate sparingly.
During stretching later that morning, Gareth started needling Storme about his inflexibility, well, his inflexibility compared to Gareth. Storme returned the favor by needling him about Brianne. Brianne was a year older than him and was fairly attractive in his opinion. It was a sore subject for Gareth. He had let slip a few times about his jealousy over Brianne hanging out with Edward. Gareth hadn’t told Storme, but Brianne had offered to teach Gareth how to kiss and practice with him. Gareth was nervous at the moment and refuted her invitation.
Brianne had stormed off and not talked to him since he rebuked her. He had regretted it ever since. He just hadn’t been prepared for her forwardness, but he would be next time an opportunity arose.
Gareth had taken a much greater interest in girls and young women in the last few months. The only woman Gareth had seen Storme ogle over was the elven woman from the play. She also caught Gareth’s eye with her lithe figure and charismatic glow. Gareth had been a little concerned that Storme didn’t like girls for a while. Which was okay with him, but Gareth was definitely only interested in girls.
Stretching ended, and Storme went inside. Callem and Gareth bombarded him with suggestions for dinner that night as he entered the farmhouse. Callem directed Gareth to the fields to finish planting the tobacco and watering both fields. Gareth could do three times the amount of work now compared to when they first moved to the farm, a mark of his improving fitness.
The hard morning continued as Storme joined Gareth on the obstacle course. They had three timed runs today at Callem’s direction. They usually competed against themselves by competing against the time piece. Gareth was just too fast for Storme to compete with when he went all out.
Storme improved his time for the C course from 7:25 to 7:09 on his first run. Storme had put in an amazing effort to achieve his new best time. His second and third were 7:45 and 7:50. And after each run, Storme came up to Gareth clean as if he had just stepped out of the shower and smelled of vanilla. The vanilla scent was a little over the top for Gareth. It was pleasant, for sure, but after a certain point, he would get sick of it. Gareth had improved his best time as well today. 6:32 was his previous best, and today he ran 6:27, 6:31, and 6:39. Callem praised both of them.
Gareth was filthy after working and training the morning. He looked forward to lunch as he had burned a lot of his energy stores, but Callem made him wash up a bit before entering the house. Lunch was bacon sandwiches, which Gareth helped himself to three of. He tried to uncover what Storme was preparing for dinner, but Storme had taken to hiding it so it would be a surprise—and so Gareth wouldn’t sample it at lunchtime. Gareth tried to get Wynna to reveal the upcoming meal but failed. Storme and Wynna had definitely bonded a bit in the kitchen.
The early afternoon was staff practice. It was something that Storme was actually quite good at. Storme could hold off Gareth even when he went full tilt. Storme even scored a pair of hits on Gareth’s thighs in today’s sparring. They were glancing blows but still counted as hits. After staff practice, Storme went to study while Callem did some advanced sword training with Gareth.
The special training was all about reading the opponent's movements. Eye movements, muscle movements, shifting clothing, and, unfortunately, feints. Callem was his subject, and the man could make it impossible to read him if he tried, but as Callem got further and further along, Gareth was finally getting it.
That was until Callem introduced feints, and Gareth’s nightmare for the last few days began. Deciding on whether something was a feint, distraction, or actual movement was impossible. He got it right maybe 10% of the time when they started. To his credit, he was already up to 25%. Yes, if you do the math, just guessing he should be at 33%, but this was Callem, and you couldn’t guess, or maybe Callem was changing the movement partway through based on Gareth's own reaction? Gareth had to read, decipher, and then react in a split second. After every engagement, Callem would question him on his thought process, then make suggestions and reveal what his actual intentions had been.
Soon, the sword practice came to a close as Storme rejoined them. They were now working on wrestling, hand-to-hand combat, and restraints. Wrestling was just hand-to-hand combat without punching or kicking. A silly form of fighting in Gareth’s opinion.
Restraints were about subduing your opponent and also breaking from an opponent's hold. At first, Storme was the victor in the wrestling, to Callem’s surprise. Although Storme was smaller, he was wiry, and he later told Gareth he had some experience with wrestling in his past life—so he was cheating. Well, after a week, Storme’s advantages faded, but he was still a very tough competitor. Gareth’s skill affinity didn’t extend to wrestling or hand-to-hand combat, so he had to use his superior agility, speed, and strength.
Today, Storme won three bouts out of ten, which meant he was having a very good day. What annoyed Gareth the most was after each bout he lost, he would use his cleanliness spell on himself and complain about how bad Gareth smelled. Unfortunately, there was no hand-to-hand combat training today. Gareth usually won every bout in that discipline.
After they finished, Storme healed them both up, and then they engaged in a handful of sword duels to help Storme's technique. Callem actually let Gareth do the teaching now. Callem just corrected Gareth on his ability to facilitate improvement in Storme’s forms.
Storme had trouble chaining the different forms together in a fluid act. He was still completing Tortoise Shell completely before switching to Fox’s Lunge. Couldn’t he see he only needed to do about 80% of the Tortoise Shell defense form before switching to attack in a fluid motion with Fox’s Lunge? He also rarely chose the optimal sword form based on what Gareth was presenting to him. Well, a sword master wasn’t made in a day…unless that person was Gareth. He smirked to himself and almost let Storme pass his defenses to graze his thigh.
Sword practice ended and they had time to clean up. Storme still loved swimming in the cool waters so they went together. As they were in the pool Storme swore. “Fucking shit.” Gareth was on alert. “No, no worries. My cleanliness spell advanced to the 5th level and I wasn’t paying enough attention to focus on the evolution. Give me a second while I figure out what the new evolution now does.” He sounded pretty upset and two minutes later Storme sounded much happier, “Actually it is not too bad. It appears my healing affinity must have aided in the evolution a bit. I didn’t realize that could happen…”
Before he could ramble on about magic nonsense, Gareth interrupted, “What did you get!” Storme grinned and relaxed into the waters.
“It is a skin renewal and hydration effect. Basically, it makes my skin appear like I just came out of the shower and used a body oil rub.” Storme said with a cocky grin.
“You mean like a noblewoman?” Comparing Storme to a woman always got him irritated, so Gareth did it often. What were friends for if not to keep you grounded?
“Let me demonstrate my new power and see what you have to say afterward.” Storme held some irritation in his tone. He stood and a few seconds passed, and I suppressed my reaction as he did look quite a bit better. Healthier, attractive, and fairer looking. Damn it, Gareth wanted magic.
Gareth held his face blank before speaking, “Let me know when you cast the spell.” Storme looked crestfallen, but before long Gareth’s grin creased his face, “No, I am kidding; your new evolution works as you advertised. You look much prettier. You should be able to find a good man if you use your spell prodigiously!” Gareth started laughing, and Storme joined in after a few seconds.
Dinner tonight was Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches with a fruit salad and fried squash. He wasn’t sure why Storme insisted on calling the steak Philly, wasn’t that a young horse? And who would eat horse meat? But the sandwiches were awesome. It was the third time since we moved to the farm he had made them. He kept wanting to get feedback on the bread. Storme wasn’t sure if it paired well with the sandwich.
Wynna had baked it, so Gareth wasn’t going to say anything other than saying it was perfect. Never insulting the chef was his motto...unless Storme needed some grounding.
After dinner, they had lessons with Wynna. To Gareth's dismay, it was the recent history of the Skyholme Triumvirate. It was a boring subject, but Wynna wanted to make sure they understood the political climate, so she circled back to this subject at least once a week. After their time with Wynna, he sat with Callem for a bit of weapons knowledge while Storme went off and did his magic thing. Callem brought out weapons and quizzed him on how to defend against them and what advantages they had versus various weapons Gareth might wield. He was already starting to puzzle out some things without Callem telling him, which was making Callem giddy. Gareth went back late to find Storme still up.
“Hey Gareth, I made three platinum today even with all the healing I did today,” Storme said to Gareth from his loft.
“Even with all the prettying up, you did today as well on top?!” Gareth retorted with his grin. “So, are you close?” He asked in anticipation.
“Yep, I have 107 platinum coins ready for you. The sixth day is two days away, and I should be able to get you another four and add some gold as well.” Storme paused, thinking, “For gold, a should have six large gold and 19 regular gold coins for you.” Gareth still hadn’t quite grasped the immense wealth that was, even though Storme tried to pound it into his head.
Gareth was just thinking he would be off to the capital in two days and could explore the sites he had only read about in books and discussed with Wynna, Storme, and Callem during meals.
Two more days…he fell asleep thinking about his coming adventure.
Chapter 24: Gareth Part 2
The next two days were difficult for Gareth as his mind was distracted. Callem kept pushing him, but it didn’t help Gareth refocus. Storme had scored multiple times in sparring and it made him insufferable. When the morning of the 6th day finally arrived, Gareth raced to Hen’s Hollow to bring back Freya. She would stay with Storme, Callem, and Wynna for the two days that Gareth would be gone. Callem thought Gareth was going to the capital of Titan’s Shield and not the capital city of Skyholme, Skyhold. It was not a lie as Gareth would have to stop in the capital on the way to Skyhold.
Gareth didn’t spend much time getting Freya and Monty, rushing them back to Callem’s farm. He talked with Storme briefly going over the plan as he eagerly took the purse containing 111 platinum, 6 large gold, and 25 gold. Gareth had plenty of time to get to the docks in Hen’s Hollow for the transport to the capital on Titan’s Shield. He arrived early and had to wait nearly 40 minutes for departure, which was very awkward as Storme’s father was there.
Caleb, Storme's father, kept trying to make conversation, asking what Gareth was planning to do in the city and asking how Storme was doing. Gareth felt guilty not telling the complete truth to his inquiries. Finally, the ship was ready to leave, and he paid his five large copper for transport to the capital. Thankfully, Caleb was not assigned to the trip. It would have been difficult to catch a skyship to the capital with him at the Aegis City docks.
Gareth made his way to the rail to watch as the ship lifted and drifted across the land. Gareth was hypnotized by trees, rivers, towns, farms, and roads passing below him. Other passengers also watched from the rails, and the trip ended far too soon for Gareth. The capital of Titan's Shield was much more impressive than Solaris, the city near Hen’s Hollow. This city had many more buildings, and they were much taller, some reaching ten stories into the sky. The large number of people he saw wandering the streets just before the ship landed in port mesmerized him. A typical day in the Aegis City was just as crowded as the carnival had been at its peak in Solaris. He looked for the dungeon entrances but could not orient himself quick enough before the ship nestled down between the buildings.
He was a bit lost as he disembarked, but since he was on the airship docks, finding the right ship to reach the capital island shouldn't be too hard. After asking a few questions, he found a passenger transport to the capital. There were actually three ships headed there today in the next few hours, two were headed to the lower city and one to the upper city. He figured the upper city would get him closer to the trade district with the best shops, so he got a ticket for that liner.
The cost was five large silver! That seemed excessive to him, but the dock master said the ship going to the upper city was faster and more comfortable, so he paid with Storme’s coins. He rationalized it would also save him a half-mile walk from the lower city to the upper city. He only had a rough map from one of his textbooks, and Storme said the best course was to walk straight to the trade district directly from the docks. Everything he needed to purchase would be there.
Even though Gareth was in his best clothes he got a lot of disdainful looks from the other passengers. He bore with it and went to the wide bow of the skyship, ignoring the pompous people denigrating his appearance. He planned to stay on deck the entire time, not going below deck to sit in the cushion seating.
He watched the island fall below as the ship took off the ground. His stomach dropped as the speed was much faster than his previous transport. Soon, the vessel cleared the edge of the island, and the vast world far below appeared. Gareth gripped the railing as his mind processed that he was not going to fall the impossibly far distance. A young man to his right snickered at him for his fear. He straightened and forced himself to relax and enjoy his first voyage off his island.
The features below were tiny, as they were miles up, but Gareth studied them with intense interest. A hunger for exploring the unknown lands below grew within him. Time passed too quickly for him again as he gazed, and the ship was flying over the capital island now.
The ship passed over large country estates. Some were academy compounds, and some were estates of the wealthy. A few small orchards, vineyards, and fields dotted the land. Even the forests and lakes seemed groomed to act as boundaries to various estates. The ship passed over a small city with white stone buildings and tiny people walking the streets. It was not the capital of Skyholme, just a vast urban expanse of the capital. Gareth looked up, and the capital city etched the horizon with impossibly tall buildings silhouetting the skyline.
From his lessons, Gareth knew magic reinforced the stone, allowing them to extend buildings hundreds of feet into the sky. The opulence and enormity of everything made Gareth envious, but he knew from readings that most buildings were left by the avian race that once inhabited the island thousands of years ago. The tall buildings had been renovated by the Skyholme people, but the architectural legacy could still clearly be seen.
The ship lowered and landed on top of a building near the trade district, one of the urban districts just outside the city center. Tall buildings surrounded Gareth, and he felt very small. A deckhand indicated the way, and Gareth disembarked and walked straight to the trade district.
Pairs of smartly dressed, large, and imposing city guards walked the streets. Dozens of well-dressed men and women hurried along the streets, and Gareth got looks of disdain. Gareth traveled as far off the main concourse as possible. At least the presence of the guard pairs made him feel somewhat safe carrying around the small fortune.
His goal today was just to get some new clothes to pass as a rich noble’s son. He would then stay in a fine inn tonight and enjoy the comforts of the city. Gareth refocused, ok Storme said the most important thing to impersonate a pompous ass of a noble was to act like one. Gareth straightened, started walking down the street, and soon found a tailor shop in the heart of the trade district that seemed to specialize in men’s clothing. The shop had a sicky sweet smell to it that almost made him sneeze. He entered the shop and found one man being fitted for a long coat by a male tailor, and immediately, another tailor approached him from behind a desk. The tailor was old and partially bald but had a friendly enough smile.
“What can we do for you today, young sir.” The man was evaluating Gareth, sizing up his potential sales. At this point, the man probably didn't think much of his possible fortunes.
“Good man,” Gareth said, clearing his throat and deepening his voice. “My family has sent me to the city to get some outfits for my sister’s wedding. I have been training in seclusion for three years, and just now, my father thought I should rejoin the family functions. I need an everyday outfit and one for the wedding.” It was a story Storme and Gareth thought sounded plausible. The man looked at him again, reassessing his initial appraisal.
“What is your budget?” he finally asked. Storme had told Gareth to spend at least 100 gold on each outfit. Gareth pulled out three platinum coins and placed them on the counter to which the man just raised an eyebrow. Was it not enough or too much? It was enough coin to buy half the houses in Hen’s Hollow.
Fighting back nervousness, Gareth added, “My father gave me a little more, but I wanted to see what you have to offer first.” The man nodded and smiled but it no longer felt friendly. He pulled the coins into his hand and quickly inspected the three shiny coins before placing them in his pocket.
“Okay, you want one formal outfit, and what about the second?” The man asked.
“Just casual clothing for going out in the city but something that I can move freely in for my morning training. I don’t know what the current fashions are, but I want to fit in with the capital’s aristocracy while I am here,” Gareth said while forcing a smile.
“Fit in, yes. Very good.” He said skeptically. “Let us start in the back room, with me, please, young sir.” Gareth followed him to a private room. “Please strip to your underclothes.” Gareth complied and stood in his underwear. The tailor looked at him, wincing slightly. “Ah, yes, new underclothes as well?” he asked, and Gareth nodded slightly embarrassed.
First, the man took many measurements, and sometimes, the man's hands across his body made him a bit uncomfortable. When finished, the man brought out three undershirts made of different materials for Gareth. “We have common cotton, trap door spider silk from the local dungeon, and dungeon linen from the lands below.”
Gareth was drawn to the spider silk shirt by the name and smooth feel. The tailor read his eyes, “Fantastic choice. The shirt has some elasticity and can be enchanted with silver runic thread. It is extremely durable and should last you many years. We offer the comfort enchantment and the temperature management enchantment. Are you interested in one or both?”
Gareth was tempted to ask how much, but that would reveal his ignorance, so he just said both. He decided on a light gray shirt, and somehow, he agreed to get three undershirts, four pairs of underwear, and eight pairs of socks in the same material. All the shirts would have both enchantments.
Next, the man brought out shoes, “The best way to build an ensemble is from the ground up. You will want light boots for the city walking and some good shoes for dancing for the wedding.” A parade of shoes in various styles and colors was shown to him. He decided on the simplest designs for both. The boots and shoes were made from dark brown leather that the man said was from the dungeon monster called the giant terror mole.
With the shoes chosen the tailor put together a complete dress outfit for the fictional wedding as Gareth tried to hurry him through the selection process. It included pants, a decorative belt, and a decorative scabbard for his dagger, a long-sleeved shirt, a vest, a long coat, a fashion scarf, a low-brimmed hat, and silver bands to go around the wrist and hold his sleeves in place. To the tailor’s disappointment, Gareth declined to get any of those items enchanted, saying he only planned to wear the outfit once.
The casual clothes the tailor selected were light brown pants in the current fashion made of a mix of leather and linen that made them heavy and durable. He didn’t get any embellishments on the pants but did get both enchantments they offered. For the shirt, he went with a loose-fitting white shirt that buttoned up the front. The buttons were made from silvery ivory bone. Well, he had a selection of buttons put before him, and those looked the most attractive to his eyes.
Gareth ordered both enchantments for the shirt. For a coat, he went with a long coat, similar to a duster from the old west. It was dark gray and made from the hide of a stone aurochs from the lowlands. It was thick and a bit heavy. With the enchantments, the tailor assured Gareth the coat would be extremely comfortable.
After going through about a dozen hats, Gareth picked out a hat that resembled a fedora made of the same material as the duster. After the long three-hour process, it was time to pay, and Gareth was extremely thirsty. The tailor moved to the counter and started to write the invoice.
Trap Door Spider Silk Under Shirt, Light Gray (3) 15 gold
Trap Door Spider Silk Underwear, Light Gray (4) 16 gold
Trap Door Spider Pairs Socks, Light Gray (10) 10 gold
Terror Mole Shoes, Dark Brown (1) 30 gold
Terror Mole Boots, Dark Brown (1) 40 gold
Yak Deep Blue Dress Shirt (1) 8 gold
Rock Wool Off Deep Blue Dress Pants (1) 10 gold
Giant Badger Leather Hide Dress Coat (1) 15 gold
Giant Silk Worm Black Vest (1) 5 gold
Tellomere Yellow Scarf (1) 25 gold
Constrictor Low Brimmed Hat (1) 3 gold
Fine Leather Belt and Scabbard (1) 11 gold
Silver wristbands (2) 8 gold
Durable Leather/Linen Pants (1) 3 gold
Linen Long Sleeve Shirt, White (1) 1 gold
Ivory Buttons (16) 8 gold
Auroch Long Cloak, Dark Gray (1) 20 gold
Auroch Brimmed Hat, Dark Gray (1) 5 gold
Comfort Enchantments, Standard Silver Thread 46 gold
Temperature Management Enchantments, Standard Silver Thread 42 gold
Multiple Enchantment Discount -21 gold
Total Invoice…………………………………………………300 gold
Gareth hid his astonishment and his nervously shaking hand. A fortune was spent in just a short time. Storme had told him to expect it, but now that it had happened, he was in slight shock. The total was exactly what he had given the man before the fitting and selection. He knew he was being taken advantage of; it was painfully obvious. The tailor said with a contented smile, “We can have the garments ready in three days and delivered to your residence.” Gareth was about to ask heatedly, “And how much for that service?” But he held it in. He was here to fit in.
“I need everything by tomorrow morning. Also add on another auroch long cloak.” His tone was firm and not voiced as a question. The tailor backed a step up, looking a little embarrassed.
“Sorry, good sir, but our weaver enchanter is quite busy. If you wish to forgo the enchantments, we might be able to have everything ready in the morning.” He was trying not to upset Gareth, that was obvious by his mannerisms. Gareth reached into his pouch and placed five large gold coins on the counter.
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“And now?” Gareth intoned with an arrogance he didn’t feel. It was Gareth's attempt at being a rich pompous noble. The man was staring at the coin, and the gears in his head were turning.
“Give me a few minutes to discuss this matter with the master tailor and the weaver enchanter.” The tailor hurried out a door in the back, and Gareth had to wait twenty minutes for him to return.
When he returned, the tailor seemed a little out of breath but said, “I have excellent news. We can expedite the items you have selected and add on the additional cloak. The charge for the cloak with be just 20 gold, and the enchantments will be free. The expeditious completion of your order will be 30 gold as we will have all eight of us working overnight to complete everything.” Gareth nodded, not expecting any other result after seeing the greed in his eyes.
“Can you recommend a good inn nearby? I will stay there tonight and you can drop my clothes off as soon as they are completed.” The man didn’t take but a breath to reply.
“The Gentle Tauren is just three buildings down on the left. Tell the innkeeper, Broderick, that you were sent by Danlius. He will take good care of you.” Gareth thought, ‘Sure he will.’ He was quickly becoming cynical. “And your name, sir?” It was strange in the entire period, Gareth had not given or received the man’s name until now.
“Gaston,” Gareth said. He didn’t want to use his real name and that was the first thing that came to his head. Gaston was a fabled dungeon delver. Gareth left, finally free of the tailor, and planned to never go through that ordeal again. Shopping for clothes was exhausting, boring, and painful to the purse. At least the money wasn’t his.
He made his way to The Gentle Tauren. The inn was four stories tall and made of the same white stone common throughout the city. Inside the common room were neatly aligned tables, a bard strumming a small harp near a large, quiet fireplace, and three attractive waitresses waiting near the kitchen door to serve patrons.
A few patrons were eating and drinking throughout the room. A slightly overweight and average-looking man stood behind the bar. He had salt and pepper hair, but after just a moment of studying the man, Gareth knew he was a skilled warrior. The pudge on the man hid muscles, and his dark eyes were observing everything inside the inn’s common room, including Gareth. Besides the cleanliness and brightness of the room, it was what he had expected. Well, the serving women were more attractive than he expected. Gareth walked to the bar, “Broderick?” The man nodded, “I am Gaston. Danlius sent me,” Gareth said.
The man laughed instantly, “Really? I am absolutely shocked that old fart sent someone to my establishment again. You still got your invoice on you?” Gareth nodded a little as he was caught off guard, and the man made a gesture to hand it over. Gareth did so reluctantly and the man scanned it.
After reading it twice, he handed it back to Gareth. “Not too bad, boy. In my younger years, I used to be a dungeon delver, and I supplied many monster and beast carcasses to tailors throughout Skyholme. The last man who came through here from Danlius—well, let us say I told him the truth about how much he overpaid.”
A pit was descending in Gareth’s stomach. Broderick continued, “Oh it's not too bad. The materials for what you have listed would amount to around 80 gold…well maybe a little more with the trouble we have been having getting imports from the lowlands. So, let's say 100 gold for the capital. The tailor should get around 40 gold for his work, and the enchanter about the same. So, a good price would have been 180 gold. I take it you didn’t haggle.” Gareth shook his head, realizing he had been so caught up in the moment and overwhelmed he had forgotten. People rarely haggled in Hen’s Hollow, but it was a game in Aegis City between the shopkeepers and customers.
The man laughed again. “Well, unless you are made of coin, take it as a life lesson, boy. Enchanting clothes is just a waste, in my opinion. It only takes a single thread to break to ruin the enchantment. Save yourself the coin next time.” He produced a glass mug and filled it with a foamy beer that Gareth drank immediately. The beer was excellent, cold, nutty, and flavorful. “My own brew. Well, it’s my own recipe, anyway. I don't dabble anymore.” The man said.
Gareth sat at the bar. He was embarrassed enough not to tell Broderick he had paid another fifty gold to get the clothes in the morning. A little timidly, he asked, “Can I get a room, dinner now, and breakfast first thing in the morning?”
“Sure! We are between lunch and dinner in the common room, but I have pheasant pies ready to go into the oven. Or you can order something. I would suggest our boar cheeseburgers.” Gareth had eaten dozens of burgers and was almost tempted to tell Broderick that his friend had invented the cheeseburger.
“The pheasant pie sounds fabulous, and two of your boar burgers as well,” the innkeeper's eyes rose in mild surprise, but he just nodded and went to the kitchen. He returned shortly and positioned himself in front of Gareth.
“So, what type of room are you looking for? The only rooms we have with a view are on the fourth floor, and two of them are open right now,” the man patiently asked.
“No, something simple is fine, but I would prefer a bath after dinner. Is there a bathhouse nearby?” Gareth asked.
“Bathhouse? Not in the upper district. All buildings here have their own running water, and all my rooms have showers…a few have baths, too.” Gareth felt he had just blundered. He was coming across as an ignorant farm boy who had never been to the capital.
“Just a room with a shower is fine. Can I get another ale?” Broderick smiled and got him the ale and a silver key. He noticed the three waitresses were watching him and talking to each other. What was that about?
Soon, a large dinner plate-sized pie was in front of him. He dug in, and the flaky crust, smooth, thick gravy, hearty meat, and vegetables filled him up. Before he realized it, two massive burgers were on plates to his right. Broderick had stepped aside to let him eat, and a short waitress with blonde hair had delivered the burgers. Gareth made it halfway through the second burger before reaching his limit. He had been receiving refills on his cup during the meal as well. He was feeling the effects of the alcohol.
“Room 6 on the second floor,” Broderick said as Gareth slid off the stool and stumbled a bit. He had enough sense to wander toward Broderick.
“Can I pay for the meals and room now? I might leave early in the morning.” Gareth felt the alcohol working. He had never drunk so much before, and he was fighting to control himself to appear unfazed. The most he had in one sitting before was splitting a liberated bottle of wine with Storme and he thought he needed four mugs to wash down the food. He thought he was doing a fantastic job of maintaining his composure.
“The room is 2 gold, and let's call the three dinners tonight 1 gold. Breakfast will be 20 silver…but maybe you will want a double portion?” he asked, amused at Gareth’s prodigious appetite. Gareth reached into his purse, fingered the last large gold there, and placed it on the counter. The shiny coin glinted in the aether lights lining the walls, and Broderick’s eyes furrowed at the sight of it.
“If I was a betting man, I would say that is a dungeon coin.” Gareth's stomach dropped, and suddenly, he was at risk of returning the pheasant pie and one-and-a-half burgers to Broderick. “Well, all coin is good at my inn, but you look young for a delver.” The coin disappeared.
He soon returned Gareth’s change, which Gareth started to put it away. “You forgot to haggle again. Call it another life lesson. I freely gave you drinks, hoping you wouldn’t contest my pricing—and you didn’t.” Broderick said with a smile. Gareth counted the coins in his hand, seven gold. Broderick winked at him as he had charged him 20 silver less than he had just requested. “A fair price would have been about 2 gold and 90 silver, but you did consume a lot of my ale.
Gareth’s mind was clearing from his alcohol buzz, but he was learning a lot of hard lessons. Broderick patted him on the shoulder. “You clean up and get some rest. My ale is quite strong. I would suggest avoiding Nina over there tonight.” He indicated the blonde waitress that had served him. “That is if you want to get a good night’s sleep.” Gareth blushed and unsteadily started walking to the stairs. He paused and returned to get the last half of a burger and went to his room carrying the plate. Broderick smirked at the young man.
It was a nice and simple room. The bed was ridiculously soft, and it had a flush toilet instead of a pot! He had read about them and actually flushed them three times before actually using them. The shower took a few minutes to figure out as well. There were two nobs, one for hot and one for cold water. He did the hot shower first and then finished with the cold shower. After the shower, his stomach had made enough room for the rest of the burger so he finished it. He was lying naked on his bed, ready to pass out, when a knock came.
Gareth got to the door with a towel around his waist and found the waitress, Nina, there. Seeing his muscular upper torso, she stumbled on her words: “Sir, I came to check on you and see if you needed any assistance with anything in your room and if your appetite was satiated.”
Gareth thought for a second. Well, if she had come earlier, she could have helped him with the shower controls. Too late now. “Will you need your clothes laundered?” she asked. No, Gareth thought. He would have new clothes in the morning, and his clothes were still fairly clean anyway. Seeing him not saying yes to anything, she tried again, “Are you interested in any pies, cakes, or torts to complete your meal?” Well, if he hadn’t just eaten the rest of the burger, he might have wanted something sweet.
Gareth finally responded, “I think I am ok. I just need to stretch out on my bed and dry off a bit. I should probably do my limbering stretches before bed as well.” Gareth was talking mostly to himself and didn’t notice the smile creeping onto the young woman’s face. He missed her face turn to shock when he shut the door. Gareth was feeling the long day and had missed stretching. Not long after, he passed into a deep slumber on the very comfortable bed. The only thing that bothered Gareth was the pillows, which had a faint vanilla aroma.
Chapter 25: Gareth Part 3
A loud knock woke Gareth. Before he realized it, he stumbled out of bed with a slight migraine and opened the door without the towel. Broderick stood in the doorway with a massive package that contained all of his new clothes and shoes. “They came late last night, but I held them till early this morning for you. You sleep quite loudly, according to Nina. I found her listening at your door after dinner service concluded.” Broderick had a devilish grin on his face. “So, breakfast serving will be in about 15 minutes…”
Broderick was studying Gareth, “You look pretty good for having downed five cups of my personal brew. I actually thought that you might be late for an engagement, so I came to get you up myself.”
Gareth nodded in thanks and took the bundle. “Thank you, Broderick.” At least he had remembered the man’s name. Gareth’s body felt fine with his Giant’s Constitution, but his head was still a little foggy with some pressure behind his eyes. “I will be down when I am dressed. Did I already pay for breakfast? I think I remember doing so.”
Broderick had a big grin on his face, chuckling, “You did at that, there is a double portion waiting for you. See you in a bit.” He left, and Gareth closed the door and unpacked his new clothes. He lamented the dress clothes, which were a waste of coin just for a cover story, but that was Storme’s plan. Maybe he could use pieces of the outfit as gifts for his family. His mother would love the yellow scarf.
He dressed in his ‘new’ common clothes, which were extremely well made. Now that he had a chance to really look at himself in a mirror, he thought he could really pass for one of those snobbish nobles in this outfit. The clothes fit his frame extremely well as he went through his basic movements. He proceeded with his stretching progression and found no issues. The best part of the clothes was the new underclothes. He wasn’t sure if it was the material or the enchantments, but he now knew he wouldn’t be able to live without them in the future.
Gareth went down to the common room carrying a large bundle. He had repacked all the clothes, including the set he had worn to the city. He got a lot of stares and felt like he was being evaluated again by the staff. “Don’t worry! The women approve. You look dashing, Gaston. Your new threads cut your athletic figure extremely well. Well, have a seat and Nina will bring your breakfast.” Gareth sat and placed his bundle on the chair next to him.
For breakfast, Gareth had two large sausages, a big pile of scrambled eggs, a pitcher of cider, and hearty rye bread baked with nuts and smothered in butter. Nina hung over Gareth as he ate, which just made him eat faster, as Gareth thought she was waiting to clear the plates. Following breakfast, Gareth talked with Broderick and got directions to the Mage’s Spell Emporium, which supplied textbooks and spells to the Mage Academy near Skyhold. Soon, Gareth was out the door with his large bundle of clothes under his arm.
He needed to obtain a few good spells for Storme. But with half a day to explore the city, how long would it actually take him to select spells?
He went into a sweet treat shop, filled a bag for Freya, and sampled a number of delectable items himself. Then he went into a pet store and got some toys and chews for Monty. His next stop was a weaponsmith. They had a number of finished weapons on display. A few had rippled steel like the daggers Storme had made.
The proprietor said the ripple was made by folding the steel. Before each fold, the metal was coated in aether crystal dust. This process made adding enchanting runes much easier. The broad sword that he was interested in was 15 platinum coins. It had a sharpness enchantment and thunderstrike enchantment. He resisted his urge to buy it but spent another hour looking at all the various weapons. Callem had taught him how to spot quality, and 90% of the weapons in this shop exemplified traits from his teachings. He was in heaven as he explored the shop.
Reluctantly, he moved on to his next stop, the emporium for spells. As he was passing an elaborate storefront with two guards at the entrance, a man came out in haste with a greeting, “Why, my young noble friend, are you carrying your own things? You need a porter or better yet a servant! Come inside, and let’s see if we have something that fits your needs!” Gareth was going to walk past, but something pulled at him—it was the crest etched on the building. He recognized it as the Bricio family crest. Was this a place where they sold indentured contracts? Mostly from curiosity, Gareth considered going inside.
The man trying to lure him inside said, “Young lord, what do you need? We have over 100 contracts up for sale at this location!” The man had a slimy quality. Gareth paused and studied the building. It had a large footprint but was only two stories high. The stone was white but had black wooden trim.
The emblem on the double doors at the entrance was similar to the Bricio family crest, but the colors did not match. Thus, it was probably an offshoot or subordinate branch, or maybe just a business enterprise. Maybe this was a mercenary hall.
The man persisted, “It is close to the midday meal, and I would be honored to offer you our hospitality.” Gareth felt hungry again, and he had some free time to eat. Despite his reservations about the man, he decided to enter. The man introduced himself, “Danic Bricio. Follow me!” he said, shaking wrists with Gareth. So, he was a member of the Bricio family. He led Gareth to a modest-sized room adorned with rich furnishings and a long stage surrounded by tables. He seated Gareth at a table close to the stage, and two guards entered, flanking the archway that served as his exit. Gareth wasn’t nervous, but he felt a little wary. Danic began his conversation.
“Forgive me for making assumptions, but I am excellent at reading people. Not a reading skill just my mental aptitude at play. I see you are out for a shopping trip in the city, and I see a renowned tailor’s mark on your bundle, so I am assuming you come from a well-off family.” Gareth nodded at the man’s guesses, making him smile. It felt good to have people cater to him after being looked down on during the skyship trip.
A servant came out and poured them some wine and left some heavenly-scented bread with roasted garlic dredged in an oil Gareth was not familiar with. “I assume by your age, 18 or 19 by my estimates, that you are enrolled in one of the academies in the upper city.” Gareth paused on his third slice of bread. He had a youthful face, but his frame matched any adult in Hen’s Hollow. What harm could there be to lead the man on, so he nodded.
Giddy with excitement, the man said, “Let me guess. Of the four academies, definitely not the Mage Academy, your muscles are showing.” He winked creepily. “Not the Naval either, or you would be in uniform. That leaves the Scholarium or the Adventurer’s Academy. By your physique and gait, it must be the Adventurers!” Gareth made direct eye contact and nodded. He did plan to join the Adventurer’s Academy eventually.
“You are an excellent reader of people,” Gareth said as the servants brought out a pea soup with small cubes of fried meat. The soup was excellent, and Gareth tried to show his best table manners by eating with a spoon instead of using a bowl as a cup.
“Very good! It is a fun game. I do not have any reader abilities, so I try to puzzle things out.” Gareth gulped but remained poised. He should have thought of that. And there were skills used to detect lies. He was being careless. “Well, I see you are struggling to carry all your packages, so I assume you are without a servant?” Gareth nodded as it was the truth. “Excellent we have some fabulous options for you! Are you looking for something long-term or short-term?”
Gareth had to process the words and recount what he had said. Did the man assume that by coming inside, he was in the market for a servant? He was already eating the man’s food, so he should play along and turn him down at the end. He said, “Long term.”
“Very wise! Most young people don’t understand that a servant can be an excellent companion to attend to your needs as you age. Training someone early is the best way to get the most out of a contracted. Any particular skills you are looking for?” The man had stopped talking to finish his own soup, and it was clear that Gareth had to say something.
“I think a sparring partner would be great,” he thought hard; what does a servant do? “They would have to be able to scribe letters I dictate as well,” he thought quickly. “They must be competent and trustworthy with my coin as well.” Well, maybe the last would be considered an insult to the man. An entire roast was brought out and carved for the two of them. Some raw and cooked vegetables accompanied the meat as well.
“Hmm,” The man was thinking. “Good martial skills, and someone with good penmanship…maybe a calligrapher…someone well versed in the customs of the upper class and with a long outstanding contract…I can think of a few options.” He pulled out a pen and wrote down something and handed it to the servant. “Let us finish the meal, and then we can sip some wine while the candidates are revealed.” He smiled wickedly. “That is my favorite part of these working lunches, the big reveal!"
Gareth had three large servings of meat before he was finished and Danic made idle chat obviously trying to ferret out Gareth’s origins and his family. Gareth gave obscure answers and focused on eating. With the meal done Danic clapped his hands and jumped up onto the stage.
“My good man Gaston, I have five excellent servants for you. The first is a man who has ten years left of his contract. He spent his early years as a duelist and then as a guard on merchant skyship.” He gestured, and a man walked out in a simple beige top and pants with leather sandals. The biggest feature was the tattoo that covered the entire left side of his neck…no it was the mage mark for the indentured that Wynna had warned him about! He was essentially in a slaver's den.
He remained calm and studied the man. He would leave as soon as this farce was over. The man was shorter than Gareth at 5’8”, and Gareth could tell he was not a great swordsman by his gait. He didn’t have a good range of movement, and his steps were heavy. He would be slow to react. Danic listed the man’s accomplishments, but they were obviously drummed up.
Seeing Gareth’s lack of interest, he stopped talking about how well-read the man was and motioned for the second candidate. Gareth was already trying to figure out a way out of the compound. He should just see the show to its conclusion, decline every option, and leave.
The second candidate was a younger man but much taller at 6’. His reddish hair and brown eyes made him look like a foreigner. Most people on Skyholme had dark hair or some shade of blonde. Gareth guessed him to be about twenty, and he had some potential as a swordsman.
Danic began his diatribe, stressing that the boy was the son of a merchant, skilled with numbers and letters, and had excellent handwriting. He was also capable with a long sword and bow. Gareth let him finish. The man had seven years on his contract, and if Gareth wanted it, he could buy it for ten platinum. Seeing Gareth not flinch and pretend to consider it made Danic smile. The first candidate was led away, and the second remained as the third was brought out.
Every candidate had the same tattoo on the left side of their neck. This man was middle-aged and a veteran. He had actually sold himself into an indenture to give the money to his estranged daughter and grandson. He was fifty years old, and his contract was 5 platinum for five years but could be renewed indefinitely. By Gareth’s estimation, he was fit and a good fighter. Seeing no objections, the man stayed on stage as the fourth candidate came out.
It was a Wolfsguard! Gareth sat straighter in his chair, and Danic noted his increased interest with a smile, “What we have here is a washout from the Blackguard program. The new laws allow them to be indentured for life. But don’t be fooled. The wolfman here is a great swordsman; the Blackguard standards are just very high. He isn’t capable of writing though…but the status you would gain by having a Wolfsguard servant!” He paused, “In addition to his 25 platinum cost, though, there is a 5 platinum annual tax to Skyholme as long as he lives within the islands.” Seeing Gareth’s focus sharpened on the Wolfsguard, Danic called for weapons and had the old man spar with the wolfman. The younger man was brought away, clearly not garnering interest from Gareth.
Gareth was focused on the sword skills and foot movements. Both were as good as advertised, if not better. The wolfman’s superior strength and speed kept the older man on the defensive though. Gareth knew at this moment in time he probably couldn’t beat either of them. Danic's inner child was screaming for joy as he saw Gareth’s intense focus on the contest. He thought he had finally found a buyer for the wolfman. Well, he had buyers, but no one the Bricio family head would approve of. The annual tax had been a killer to other potential buyers as well. He wondered which family this Gaston was attached to. He was guessing he was from one of the other islands by his mannerisms, and lack of decorum. But platinum was platinum.
With the sparring done, Danic tried to get a commitment from Gareth for the Wolfsguard, but he didn’t bite. Maybe the kid's father wasn’t as rich as he had calculated. Well, he had one more option. Maybe the boy would want a plaything for a servant? He didn’t think Gaston had the aura of wanting a woman indentured, and he was usually fairly good at judging. He was young, and maybe in time he would gain the disposition for it.
“I have one last potential contract you may be interested in. She is a half-breed but does check all your qualities. A good swordswoman, educated, and she will be loyal as the Triumvirate has leverage on her.” Gareth's attention snapped to Danic as he continued, “She was part of the carnival a few weeks back. Her mother was taken in as a spy, and her good behavior ensures her mother's survival. Also, she has a tier 5 mage mark…makes her more costly but…”
He waved his hand and a half-elven young woman came out on stage. She had long silvery blonde hair, large blue eyes, a very attractive face, a lean athletic frame, and stood around Storme’s height. Gareth's intense study of the young woman made Danic focus on the young man's reaction. The boy wasn’t lustful but perhaps infatuated. He would probably not like the cost. The girl did have a severe restriction on her file but for the right amount of coin, anything was possible.
Danic changed his pitch angle, “So this fair maiden was part of the tumbling troupe. When her mother was being brought in for questioning, she defended her from two Wolfsguard with a rapier for a brief amount of time. She was almost as quick as the Blackguard, according to the arrest record! Well, she was questioned after being subdued and found not to have any connection with her mother’s links to the Sadians. But she was put on trial for attacking the Blackguard and now has a contract for life! She does need some taming, but I am sure you could handle that. The tier 5 tattoo should be invaluable for the training as well.”
Gareth’s only thought, was freeing her. Seeing the fire in the young woman’s eyes, stirred him. Such a beautiful woman shouldn’t be a slave for her life. Danic was smiling at his reaction but Gareth didn’t notice. “Her contract is 45 platinum plus 5 platinum still owed in damages from the day of the incident.” Danic had put the number quite high to see if it was out of reach for the young man and to have some wiggle room if Gaston decided to haggle a bit.
Fifty platinum! That was a lot but he had it. Wait. He still needed to get the spell books for Storme. “I will need some time to think on it,” Gareth finally said after obvious introspection. “I may need to talk with my father as well, as the expense is quite large and exceeds my allowance.” The half-elf looked in her late teens, but didn’t elves age slower and live longer?
“Well, do not wait too long! Our next phase of program training is coming, and the more skills we teach them, the higher their contract will sell for.” The man’s sliminess was in full force at the inference.
The only indenture that had made continuous eye contact with Gareth had been the old man. If he had been here to actually get a servant, he probably would have chosen him. The wine at lunch was potent, but Gareth’s constitution gave him good resistance. He left the compound, reluctantly shaking Danic’s hand and telling him he would be thinking hard about the servants he viewed today
Gareth’s mind kept returning to the elven girl at the Bricio compound, and he nearly passed the entrance to the Mage’s Spell Emporium. The store was made of the same white stone most of the buildings in the city were made of. Behind the door, Gareth found an immaculate lobby with a half dozen men and women looking at tomes on shelves throughout the lobby. Looking up the building extended two more stories with terraces overlooking the lobby. Gareth could see shelves lining the terrace walkways with a few people perusing them. A large skylight was directly over the lobby giving lots of natural light. Not that it needed it as there were more aether lights in here than he had ever seen.
A young woman interrupted his gawking, “Young lord how can we be of assistance today?” Gareth took the beauty in for another few breaths before turning his attention to the woman. She was dressed in simple fine robes and quite beautiful. Her blue-gray eyes made him pause as he took her in. Gareth was finding out today he was a sucker for pretty eyes.
He stumbled on his words, “Umm, yes. Sorry, just haven’t been here before. I am actually here for my younger sister.” Gareth got control of his overloaded senses of the building and woman eager to help him. He dove into the prepared story. “My sister just recently awakened and she has no spells, so my parents sent me here to purchase a few. She has a skill affinity for lightning magic…” He paused, lost in the woman’s eyes again and bright smile again.
“Oh, the lightning affinity! That would be the fifth one in the last three weeks! It has been a pretty popular sphere, so the cost for most lightning spells has increased recently. Supply and demand you know. Well, since it is your first time here, I will give you the tour.” She winked and turned, motioning for Gareth to follow—and follow he did.
She led him around the first floor to each of the shelves and indicated the collection of books on each. The first floor contained lesson books for the Mage Academy and some books on general magic theory. No spells were actually on the first floor. She took him up the rear staircase to the second floor and showed him around. The second floor contained 1st and 2nd tier spells mostly divided by their sphere of magic. A colored dot on the spine indicated the spell’s affinity. She told him some spells had multiple affinities and pointed out how that was denoted by multiple dots. Inside the cover of each spell tome was a slip of paper indicating the cost. The third floor had 3rd tier spells and a few 4th tier spells. She didn’t take Gareth up there.
Gareth thanked the woman, but she remained by him, not letting him browse unaccompanied. Seeing his confusion, she explained, “All guests require an escort while on the 2nd and 3rd floors.” Gareth nodded and started looking at books while she stayed close. He took in her perfume and found it pleasant.
It took him a minute to find the obfuscate spell Storme wanted. It was in the darkness sphere. He opened the book and coughed, tier 1 spell, Obfuscate Abilities, 120 gold. Okay, this was the top priority on Storme’s list. There were seven copies of the spell, but four copies had the same author, and the other three were each written by a different author.
Gareth asked about the difference, and the woman briefly looked through both tomes. She then told him about the two authors in detail, which meant absolutely nothing to Gareth. He then asked her to recommend one of the spell versions, and she lifted one of the books. The young woman asked if he would be purchasing the spell, and he nodded. She made a gesture that she would hold the book while he continued to shop.
He spent some time walking through the lightning sphere spell shelves on the second floor. Tier 1 spells for lightning were phased lighting (30 gold), electrical transference (25 gold), lightning arrow (50 gold), static wave (20 gold), and lightning shield (50 gold). There were a few copies of each spell with some books having different authors again. He left the tier 1 spells and looked at the tier 2 spells. Lightning spear (140 gold), thunderwave (120 gold), lightning sphere (250 gold), flash step (300 gold), and lightning rod (190 gold).
Not as many copies or versions of these spells existed. Gareth was supposed to get one offensive and one defensive lightning spell. He pulled the thickest copy of lightning sphere and lightning spear spell and gave them to his escort to hold. She looked perplexed, “If your sister just awakened her aether core, she might be better with just tier one spells for now.”
Gareth had a perfect response, “My sister thinks she is the smartest mage in the islands. Humbling her a bit couldn’t hurt. Besides the gold is hers.” She shrugged and balanced the books.
All he had left on his list was to get a tier 3 or tier 4 healing sphere spell. As he started making his way to the 3rd floor his escort halted him. “Sorry, the 3rd floor is restricted to members only.” Gareth looked confused and she clarified. “Sorry, I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t think you would get any 3rd tier spells for your newly awakened sister. We have a membership program. It gets you 10% off all purchases but costs 500 gold…” She paused, “and we only sell our tier 3, 4, and 5 spells to registered members. Do you want to purchase a membership for your sister?”
Gareth pondered what to do. The woman continued while he thought, “Your sister needs to be present to get her membership but…we could give you a token that she can present when she comes to the shop herself.”
Gareth nodded, and pulled out five shiny platinum coins, and handed them to the young woman. The woman took them. Looking at the coins, she asked. “Did she already learn the cleanliness spell?” Gareth nodded. “I will be right back,” she said, smiling. She went downstairs, and Gareth observed her from the terrace. She went to a desk and looked to be confirming the authenticity of the coins.
Soon, she rose and went to an older man, and after talking to him briefly, he handed her a large emblem. She came back up the stairs and handed Gareth a large copper emblem with something Garth assumed was runic script on both faces.
Gareth took the token and pocketed it. She smiled brightly, “Ok, he said I can take you to the third floor now but just this once. The owner said he would make an exception this time but generally, only the one linked to the token is allowed up there.” They walked up the stairs and Gareth sensed many eyes on him. He asked and was directed to the healing sphere section and uncomfortably looked at the tier 4 spells. Infuse Vitality, Restore Amputation, Spirit Fortification, and Ranged Healing. Gareth had no idea what was good so he just pulled the last spell book which was the thickest of the bunch, Ranged Healing. He looked at the paper inside the cover, 1000 gold!
He shakily handed the spellbook to his shadow. She had a look of shock on her face. He figured that was enough but noticed another spellbook with the gold dot marked for healing spells and the silvery blue mark for lightning. It was a spell that combined the two spheres. He pulled out the book and looked at the title, lightning reflexes. He looked inside, tier 4, 1200 gold. Being a mage was really expensive.
He read the spell description on the first page of the tome. The spell greatly increased the mage's reflexes and reaction time. The healing aspect of the spell came from maintaining the body of the mage’s integrity from the accelerated speed. Maybe this spell could make Storme a better swordsman? More of a challenge for Gareth? He handed the book to the young woman. She said, “This book has been here for a while. Not many mages would use eight spell slots for a spell that essentially focuses on melee combat. It only speeds up your body, not your ability to cast spells faster.” The young woman added the spell book with the others under her arm.
“I think that will be all for today,” Gareth said satisfactorily. He thought he did a great good for Storme. He followed the woman down to the first level and to a desk. She slowly pulled each paper from the book and double-checked that the paper matched the title of the book. She got a sheet and tallied the total.
“Sir, that will be 2,926 gold and 8 large silver.” She turned the sheet so he could look at the math: 2,710 gold total, with a 271 gold discount, a 15% triumvirate tax, and a 5% capital city tax. Gareth pulled out 30 platinum coins. Their newness was clearly evident. The woman slowly confirmed each coin with a strange runic item. She explained nervously, “No offense; we just confirm the platinum coins have the minimum content for all new patrons to the store.”
When she was done, she carefully bundled the tomes together, wrapped them in a white leather hide, and bound it with leather straps to protect the books. “Here is my name,” she said, slipping a piece of paper in the bundle. “If you require my assistance again, ask for me. I am in my third year at the Mage Academy and work here to pay tuition. My commission today should help me get another spell or two for myself.” She squeezed his arm in appreciation.
Gareth was happy and returned the smile, but hefted the books, leaving the young woman behind. He still had the 50 platinum if he returned to Bricio’s slave market to free the girl. Gareth knew it was the right thing to do. However, it would draw attention to him and be the exact opposite of keeping a low profile. Screw it. Carrying multiple unwieldy bundles, he returned to the Bricio compound.
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