Chapter 11 - The Expedition

As the crowds were slowly dispersing, I basked in the feeling of victory. Payback would mean at least 15 or 20 gold in compensation for the “goods” that were lost, since I’d instructed Zephyr to pass it off as medicinal supplies. That’s what we’d been making a killing from, so no one would dispute the claims. I’d paid all of 60 silvers for the earthenware jugs, plus a handful more for the dyes. This meant Zephyr and I were in for one heck of a windfall. Just then, I felt a hand land on my shoulder.

“Hey, you.. ah..” started watcher Vyse.

“I’m Seth,” I responded amiably.

“Right. Seth, I appreciate what you’ve done. Things could have gotten out of hand.” Vyse sighed heavily, then drew me closer as he continued in a low tone. “Look, I’ve known the kid and the little beast - well, not so little anymore - for as long as they’ve been in town. Sol is a good kid. I don’t know where he came from, and he has no kin here. Kid’s got heart though, and so does the beast. I hope you’re not too harsh on them.”

I raised my eyebrow but nodded in acquiescence, “Of course. I too would like to give them a chance at a better life.”

“Good, good. Just so we understand each other though, Tarik’s got some bad blood with the kid and the beast. I can slap him on the wrist but that’s about it. He’s got deep pockets and many friends. I think it would be best if Sol weren’t around for a while. For that matter, same goes for you. Tarik’s vicious and he’ll come after you no matter what I do. As for the beast, you’d better speak to an experienced hunter. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but there’s much more to it than meets the eye.”

“What do you mean, watcher Vyse?”

“Look, just ask around - discreetly. He’s getting big, and that eyepatch isn’t gonna work forever. Sooner or later, the truth will be known.”

I looked at Vyse in surprise. “You mean you knew he was a Kha’zik?”

Vyse nodded grimly. “I’m surprised you know that. Reaver is still just a pup, which is why not many have made the connection yet. But he’s just too damn smart. No regular dog can be that clever. Besides, soon his fangs will grow and the eyepatch won’t be able to hide the Bloodgem any longer. He can’t stay. Either the guard will be forced to kill it, or bloodgem hunters will.”

“Bloodgem?” I repeated stupidly.

“Aye. Kha’ziks have one blue eye, icy cold like the heart of winter. The other burns fiercely with a scarlet darker than blood. The older and more powerful the Kha’zik grows, the brighter the bloodgem will burn. There’s many folk tales about supernatural feats performed by Kha’zik whose eyes were trailing a crimson blaze. I don’t know how true the tales are, but bloodgems are worth a fortune as a magical reagent, especially those harvested from fully grown Kha’zik. That’s why bloodgem hunters have driven them to the edge of extinction.”

I looked dubiously at Reaver. That mutt was a priceless magical reagent? At least that explained how it could be so damn smart.

“You understand now? I can’t protect that pair any longer,” continued Vyse. “I’ve done what I could but that’s about as far as I can go. You need to leave town at least for a while, until they can fend for themselves. Kha’zik mature rapidly, and even someone as foolhardy as Tarik would think twice about crossing a full-grown Khazik.”

I nodded to Vyse. “I will see to it. Although.. I hardly know anything about Sol. Where did he come from? Where’s his family?”

“That’s the thousand gold question,” muttered Vyse. “I know as much as you do. Two years ago he showed up with Reaver as a newborn pup. They were still young enough that the villagers took pity on them and let them stay. You’ll have to find those answers on your own. Oh, and that obscenity of a sword. More like a lump of steel. Sol never goes anywhere without it. I’ll make sure Tarik returns it when he frees Sol.”

“You have my thanks, watcher Vyse.”

Vyse offered his hand to me, “Seth, my friends call me Vyse. Let me know if you need anything before you leave.”

I took his hand and shook it firmly. “I will. Take care, Vyse.”

Vyse nodded to me, then turned around to lead his men away with Tarik and Zephyr in tow.

I turned to Reaver, who was still lying on the ground, breathing harshly.

I nudged him with my boot. “That’s enough, you can get up now. Good acting, by the way.”

When Reaver didn’t reply, I knelt down to study his wounds more closely. They were far more serious than I’d assumed. Of course, he’d fought off Tarik’s men and then had probably been starved for the past couple days while struggling against the collar on his neck.

“Reaver! Damn, I didn’t even..” I was at a loss for words. Zephyr, the closest thing to a doctor I knew in this place, had just left.

“C’mon Reaver, hang on,” I urged him, a lump forming in my throat. He’d fought like a champ even though he was probably half-delirious from his wounds and malnutrition. Reaver’s eyes had a dull sheen, and his breathing came in labored gasps as his chest worked furiously. “Hang on buddy, I’ll take care of you. You did good today, you hear me? You saved Sol. That’s right, you did it.”

***

In the end, it took almost an hour for Kyren and I to carry Reaver back to our little hut on Zephyr’s wagon. Most of that time was spent loading and unloading Reaver as carefully as possible. He was almost too heavy for both of us, but we managed.

It pained me more than I care to admit to see this fierce beast reduced to such a state. Damn Tarik.

I sent Kyren off to buy some food for Reaver while I used some of Zephyr’s salve on his wounds. Reaver protested weakly as soon as he caught a whiff, but I scolded him gently and he subsided. Soon after the food arrived, Reaver devoured it and entered a deep slumber, which I took to be a good sign.

Examining Reaver, I had to admit he was a rather striking creature. Long, soft silver fur covered most of Reaver except for a couple patches of black on his tail and one ear. He had a long, lean muzzle that concealed an impressive array of fangs. His neck was long and elegant but well muscled, and I had no doubt he could tear a limb off a horse if he wanted to. His paws were almost as big as my own hands, and much thicker, with claws that were almost an inch long and filed to razor sharpness.

“And he’s still a pup? Just how big do they get? I almost feel bad for the poor bastard that tries to hunt you down, boy.”

I stroked Reaver’s head while lost in thought. I had originally planned on staying in town until I could find some way to deal with Jae’thun’s challenge. However, circumstances had changed. I had managed to save Sol and Reaver, but now Tarik would not rest until he utterly crushed me. Not that it would take much to achieve that.

Looking down at myself, I had to admit I had seldom felt so powerless in my life. I’d always had my fists and my wits. Between an uneasy compromise of both, I’d taken down challenge after challenge. No mountain had been too high, no sky too wide. I’d taken on the world, and revelled at the feeling. Now..

I sighed deeply as I made a fist with my right hand, which had only recently healed. I couldn’t even knock out a clumsy third rate toadie from a minor town bully. I once had occasion to spar against the then MMA super-heavy weight champion of the world, and though I’d lost, I’d given as well as I’d taken. Truth to tell, if we’d played by my rules instead of his, I was confident the result would have been different.

Now I couldn’t even deliver a proper cross counter without shattering my own wrist.

Suddenly, I realized I’d been gouging the palm of my hand with my own nails. I opened my fist and watched as the blood slowly trickled from the wound. It was all so realistic. I could hardly believe this wasn’t my hand. I suppose it would be, from now on.

My own hand in real life had been a knobby mess crisscrossed with countless scars, stitches, and the odd bullet-hole burn mark here and there. This hand looked pristine, without even a single callus to bear witness to any feats of endurance or strength.

That’s right. This was a fresh start. A new beginning. I was like a newly born babe. I would need to reinvent myself from the ground up. I would have to go back to my high school days, when I’d first learned fighting was more than just swinging fists wildly until one side lay in a crumpled heap. From what I’d seen, a few hours of bandage making had given me the skill. There seemed to be no reason why it would be any different for other skills.

First, though, I needed to raise my physical condition. That meant Strength, Agility and Constitution. Though my priorities were still Intelligence and Wisdom, I needed to reach a point where I could at least survive a passing encounter against an alley mugger or street scum like Tarik's men.

Still, I felt stubbornly reluctant to devote any of my level up points to Strength and Agility. While a balanced approach might work for some, it was also an expressway to mediocrity. I couldn't afford to waste a single point. If only I could find another way to raise my physical stats. So far, the different traits and achievements I'd earned had helped, but I couldn't rely on them. Would training my body yield the desired results?

In my past life, I'd designed some of the most rigorous training regimes for some of the most elite special forces recruits in the planet. I knew a thing or two about conditioning. If in real life a man's body and spirit could be crushed to rebuild a far stronger one from the ground up, then the same could also hold true here in Aeterna. If that were so, even though I was from the Scholar class, perhaps I'd be able to create at the very least a basic foundation upon which to build some semblance of combat readiness.

An expedition to the world outside the village would prove vital in proving these theories. Until then, I couldn't afford to waste a single point. When anyone else would have been pounding their fists against the floor, regretting their past choices, I was a different beast altogether. Past was past, and while it couldn't be changed, I could learn from it. I could adapt and evolve.

That meant no more overestimating my own abilities, no rushing in blindly trusting my combat instincts, and definitely no more cross counters. Also, in the short term, my inability to fight meant I couldn’t hunt and gain levels the regular way - at least not by myself. That’s why most scholars would choose to start out in a sophisticated urban area. There they could carry out research in order to gain free levels while learning a relevant profession which would help them survive the harsh reality of the world outside.

Of course, there were no libraries or centers of learning in the Arioch Wastelands.

No, there was one. The Imperial Library of Legendary Korendur. I would find it, but I would need to stay alive long enough to reach it first. That's why I had Sol and Reaver.  While part of me rebelled at the idea of having to take care of a kid and a mutt when I couldn’t even look out for myself, another, far less travelled side of my heart grew a little warm at the idea of watching them grow while spending time with them. Teaching them the art of combat, the rigors of training, the heat of battle and the sweet taste of victory.

That's what made for true companions. Friends, even.

Perhaps I wasn’t such a tough guy, after all.

Nodding to myself, I quickly drew up a plan to take a 5 day expedition away from the city. All that information gathering I had done while Zephyr sold our product would finally pay off. I knew exactly what route to take, where to stop, what to hunt, and what NOT to hunt, which would be vital for our undermanned, underpowered little party.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Thankfully, I still had a whole week before my duel with Jae’thun. I would have to postpone my showdown with Tarik until then. In case things didn’t pan out, however, I wouldn’t go down to Jae’thun without a fight. I needed to push myself to my limits in these next 5 days. I needed to thrust myself into the very crucible of battle and reforge myself into a weapon.

Of course, that wasn't all. I would have to  make other preparations as well. I'd already sent Kyren off with detailed instructions. Look, I relished a fair fight as much as the next guy, but I had bigger goals than some stiff-necked hunter with a deathwish. If push came to shove, I would do anything - literally anything - to survive my match with Jae’thun. He was still innocent enough that he believed in things like honor and fair fights.

Fool. Like a newborn babe, he had a lot to learn about the world we live in.

Of course, I’d much rather turn Jae’thun into an ally. A hunter with his experience would be a priceless asset. So the crux of the matter became Tarik. I would need to have one final showdown with him, with everything on the line. If I could only convince Jae’thun to look past his damn honor..

With a shake of my head, I made a mental list of the supplies we would need and the preparations we would have to make. Thinking of finally going out on a real hunt got my blood pumping. I’d been spoiling for a proper fight. It had been far too long.

Time to feed the beast. And I wasn’t talking about Reaver.

***

“MIIIIISTER!”

I winced as I turned around, then was immediately bowled over as Sol leapt into my arms and buried his face in my chest.

“Waaaa, I was so scared. Thank you so much for saving Reaver! I don’t know.. hic, I don’t know what I would do without..”

I chuckled ruefully as I patted Sol’s head, or tried to, but by then Reaver had knocked both of us down again as he pounced and indiscriminately ran his tongue up and down our faces.

“Gah. Both of you. Off. NOW!”

Sol at least managed to look a little guilty as he hugged Reaver, but the damn beast didn’t look the least bit penitent. In fact, I could swear it was snickering at me. Bah!

While Sol was busy checking Reaver over and Reaver was doing the same for Sol, I drew Zephyr closer.

“So, the profit from our latest enterprise?”

“Here it is, Lord Seth. 10 gold, a glorious bounty - and most well deserved, may I add.”

I stared at Zephyr, stupefied. “T.. ten gold? I told you to ask for at least 25!”

Zephyr frowned as he mulled it over. “Yes, you did say that, but did you not agree that Tarik would seek to bargain it down?”

“Yes, which is why you should have received 20!”

“Well, we had neglected to consider the true market value of unsold goods in an unstable environm..”

I clamped a hand over my face as I motioned for him to stop. Patience, patience, must resist - can’t murder my own business partner, much as he may deserve it.

“So, basically,” I uttered hoarsely, still unbelieving. “You let that worm Tarik haggle you down from 25 gold to 10?”

“Well, I would not go so far as to characterize his actions as haggling, so much as a renegotiation of terms..” Zephyr stopped as he caught the murderous glare in my eyes. “Ahem, yes. He did.”

I sighed heavily, but had expected as much already. Letting Zephyr enter the bargaining table with a conniving bastard like Tarik was like asking him to steal candy from a babe.

“I had assumed that 10 gold would be a satisfactory conclusion and a rather hefty profit margin from your initial investment, Lord Seth. After all, our real supply of salves and bandages still lie safely within our storage chest.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I muttered glumly. “Never mind that. Look, Zephyr. There’s been a change of plans. I need to take the kids away for a while,” I motioned with my head towards Sol and Reaver. “We will need supplies for a 5 day expedition. I’ve already drawn enough information from many of our clients that I have an itinerary. I also bargained for a decent map. Can you take care of food, water, and medical supplies?”

Zephyr looked at me with bewilderment. “Ah, of course, Lord Seth. Would you prefer hard tack or dried goods?”

“A mixture of both will do. I expect we won’t need them if our hunt goes well enough, but it pays to be prepared.”

“Hunt?” chimed in Sol, and even Reaver seemed to be alert, with his tail wagging frantically to and fro.

“Yes, settle down. We are going away for a while. It’s getting too hot for us here.”

Sol beamed at me with happy eyes while hugging that monstrous sword to his chest. “I finally get to show you Malky.”

“Malky? You named that abomination of a sword.. Malky?” That was just wrong. I would name my teddy bear Malky, not an instrument of wholesale slaughter.

Sol frowned at me. “Abomination? What’s that? And Sol didn’t name anything. Malky is Malky.”

“Uh-huh, whatever. Come along kids, we have some shopping to do before we leave. I plan to be on the road by dawn tomorrow. Zephyr, please have the supplies loaded on top of my Auroch. I’ll be taking it along for this trip.”

Zephyr nodded. “It shall be done, Lord Seth.”

“Also, if you see Jae’thun, let him know I need to speak to him.”

“As you wish, Lord Seth.”

I herded the children out, then paused at the doorway. “By the way Zephyr, why do you insist on calling me ‘Lord’ Seth?”

Zephyr smiled at me with that radiant honesty of his. “Because that’s who you are. Lord Seth.”

I scratched my head, but since there seemed to be no further explanation, I just shrugged and left.

As I stepped outside, I thought I heard Zephyr whisper, “Godspeed, Lord Seth.”

***

Agnus grunted a wordless greeting as I stepped inside with Sol and Reaver. I’d warned Reaver to be on his best behavior, and so far he’d complied, following along quietly.

“Agnus, your sword served me well. I vanquished a mighty foe indeed,” I quipped, nodding towards Reaver.

Agnus chuckled, which was not an easy thing to accomplish. “I’ve heard the tales of the hero. Figured it had something to do with you.”

“I did manage to slip your name in while showing off your sword in front of the crowd,” I added hopefully.

Agnus scratched his beard as he nodded. “Have hardly had any time to sit down all day, thanks to your damn meddling. Eh, well, I suppose I had some extra inventory collecting too much dust in the back. More customers can’t hurt. Too much, that is. Eh, here, I found this lying around while I was cleaning up around the back. Might come in handy.”

I caught the bundle and grunted as its weight hit me. I opened the bag to find a meticulously crafted set of leather armor, complete with a cuirass for chest protection, greaves for the legs and bracers for the arms.

I examined the full set.

Superior Aged Leather Armor SetType:LeatherDefense:20Bonus:Weight reductionDurability:40/40Quality:CA pliable set of tough leather, it will turn away any but the fiercest of blows. Lovingly crafted by a master of the trade, this armor had its weight further reduced without compromising its performance. While it is old and worn with age, it has been well cared for.

“Agnus, this is too much,” I murmured, shocked. Even worn and aged as it was, a set like this would cost several gold pieces, and I could tell this one was of superior quality. Even the weight had been reduced!

Agnus scowled, “Well, they might be too much for yer ailing body to handle, but you better grow into them if you hope to give me a proper workout.”

I grinned as I took out the armor and tried it on. It fit perfectly. I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Agnus. “Just found it lying around, did you?”

Agnus’ scowled deepened even more. “Bah, did you actually come here for something, or yer just looking to pester me to death?”

“Actually, I need some equipment for him,” I replied, nodding towards Sol.

Sol looked up at me in wonder, “I’m getting a fancy set of armor too, mister?”

Reaver’s ears perked up as well. I almost expected him to echo Sol’s question. I was rather disappointed when he didn’t speak up. Damn dog had me going crazy.

“You will need adequate protection out there. I haven’t seen if you can actually handle that big lump of yours..”

“Malky,” Sol interrupted.

“Whatever. My philosophy is to prevent rather than lament.”

Agnus tugged on his beard while considering  Sol thoughtfully.

“Well, I might have something that can fit the kid there. Let me see..” he mumbled as he shuffled towards the back.

I nodded towards Agnus’ retreating back. “You know I appreciate your craft. Get me something I can work with, and I’ll put up the cash.”

He came back with an odd-looking set of buckles and straps attached to some plates. The whole thing looked like a dubious proposition.

“Hey, don’t judge before you see the results,” muttered Agnus. After he helped Sol fit it on, he stepped back to admire his work. I had to admit I was impressed.

Sol’s new armor consisted of a pair of bracers with tough leather lining on the outside. He also wore a shoulder pad with thick straps of leather running across his chest and back for added protection against glancing blows and cuts.

All in all, it kept everything fairly light while adding some protection. I paid Agnus without haggling, and added a few more coins. Agnus raised his eyebrow but silently took the offered payment. We had an understanding of sorts now. We would look out for each others' interests, no words needed.

It was good to work with a professional.

“Also, could you take a look at that thing Sol’s been carrying around on his back? Sol, hand it over.”

Sol reluctantly parted with his sword while Agnus took a look. The old man was surprisingly strong as he had no trouble flipping it this way and that to examine it, and even going as far as taking a few practice swings.

“Hmm. Interesting work. The material is top notch, but there are several flaws running through the blade. There seems to be a pattern to it, almost as though they’d been placed there on purpose. If you leave it with me, I could look at it in more detail.”

Glancing at Sol’s look of dismay, I had to shake my head. “No can do, apparently its owner isn’t willing to part with it. Perhaps when we come back to town.”

“Ah, so you are leaving?” Agnus asked while handing the sword back to Sol, who hugged it gratefully to his chest before strapping it onto his back.

“Yes, though it’s only for a week. Need some special training.”

“Hah. I just hope the sand tigers don’t make a snack out of your party.”

“I pity the sand tiger that crosses our path. I’d bring its hide for you to make a nice rug from.”

“Hah. Now that’s the confidence you need. Good luck, Seth.”

I waved a hand at Agnus over my back, then exited the shop.

The preparations were complete.