Chapter 34: The Ride Back

TRISTAN

There was a moment when Tristan emerged from the dungeon portal where he wasn’t sure which way to go. He’d told Sophie he was going to head back to Jamal’s, and he would, but he never really told her how he’d get there.

Billy the driver had said he’d stay parked outside Garrow’s until he was needed--at least until midnight. Tristan shouldn’t need half that long, since it was maybe an hour’s walk back to Rockmoor.

Tristan checked back over his shoulder, just to be sure that Sophie hadn’t emerged from the portal yet. He wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t. He worried that he might have come off a little strong at the end of their conversation. He had seen her wall go up so quickly and was worried he’d offended her. But she had seemed eager to do more dungeon runs together, so maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought.

Either way, the message had been clear: she appreciated his help, but she wasn’t going to rely on it.

Honestly, Tristan respected that.

Besides, he had a nagging desire to head back to Garrow’s. He wanted to know if they’d experienced any blowback from his duel earlier, among other things. After spending so much time helping someone else, Tristan kind of hoped he could get a bit himself. And another look at the master smith’s arms wouldn’t hurt either, he admitted with a smile.

I just need to spend some time at an anvil to work out some ideas, he told himself. It wasn’t his fault that Garrow’s was the only unaffiliated shop on the entire Row. He was glad for at least one, as he needed somewhere to work! Though now he worried that he might have caused them trouble. The ominous-sounding “strike” he’d gotten from the Steelblood Guild weighed heavily on his mind.

If anything, the strike put him in a bind and was a reason not to go straight back to Rockmoor. No doubt Jamal or Cherry would be able to tell Tristan just what the strike meant for his current situation. And if not, well, then there was bound to be someone else in the manor who could. He hoped.

He wondered if he could ask Sophie.

He dismissed the thought quickly. The astralist already had enough on her plate. For starters, she’d gained a lot from their dungeon run: two whole levels and a great item! That was more than she’d earned in the whole month since he’d first met her. And with those gains, he knew, came the need to learn and master new abilities.

Tristan smiled, glad to have helped her and certain that he would come back to check on her again. He’d meant it when he’d called her his friend.

It was kind of fun to think about how she was now one of what he considered a very elite group of people: those who had survived a dungeon run with him. First Opie and Chessa, and now Sophie. And also Mister Biggs, Poof, and Sneakers, too, if we’re counting astrals. He considered it only briefly. And why shouldn't we?

If there was one thing he’d learned about astrals today, it was that they were each entirely unique. They had their own personalities, wants, and needs. As Sophie had pointed out several times: despite being their summoner, she couldn’t just control them like tools or swords. She had to work alongside them. Astrals were intelligent beings all on their own.

Poof had even impressed him during that last boss fight. For having such a fluffy little body, she really packed a punch. If she ever learned to move for herself, instead of relying on Sophie, she could really shape up to be a great damage dealer.

Tristan laughed at himself as he started walking. He’d also grown a lot earlier today, though luckily the heat he’d initially felt for the set-up duel had mostly cooled. It was a little crazy how much had happened in just one day. And there was still even more he wanted to do! The sooner he got back to Smith’s Row, the better. And if he happened to get back in time for a run-in with Temperance, well that would be a happy coincidence.

A look at the sun sinking in the sky prompted him to pick up his pace. Tristan didn’t plan to run the whole way, but once he got going he saw it as a way to test his improved Endurance. It was now far and away his best stat with a whopping 41. He hadn’t really put it to the test in a while, and he kind of wanted to. Having a stat roughly four times what it had been at Awakening made him wonder just what he was capable of.

What he found was that, by setting a steady pace just shy of a full sprint, he could run the entire distance back to Rockmoor without ever needing to take a break. He must have covered the entire distance back to the canopied city in half an hour’s time--way better than he’d originally guessed. Better still, when he arrived at the massive gates of Rockmoor, he wasn’t even sweating. That was really good news, because he didn’t want to show up at Garrow’s a gross, dripping mess.

Of course, as he headed toward Smith’s Row, he started to sweat anyway. He couldn’t tell if it was paranoia or if the people there (both the proprietors and customers) were watching him more closely. The shop-lined street definitely didn’t have the same comfortable feel he’d enjoyed on both of his earlier trips. Despite what the [Welcome Home] aura of the Embrace’s domain said, it didn’t feel welcoming. He decided a brisker walk might be in order.

As he neared Garrow’s, he could see Billy’s wooden wagon was still parked right outside, though Billy himself was nowhere to be seen. That didn’t bother Tristan too much, since it gave him yet another reason to go inside.

As soon as Tristan reached the door, it opened and out walked his driver. Billy cleared his throat before whispering just loudly enough for Tristan to hear it, “They’re asking you not to come in for a while.”

Tristan’s stomach knotted and his jaw went slack. Still, he found the courage to ask the question whose answer he feared: “What’s ‘a while’ exactly?” His eyes lingered on the shop’s closed door.

“She said a week or two, but the old man said at least a month.” Billy reached up to put an arm around Tristan’s shoulders and began walking him toward the wagon. “I’d take the old man’s answer, honestly. You’ve earned a strike from the Steelbloods. Better not to call more attention to your friends there.”

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Tristan dragged his feet slightly as the half-elf stopped a few steps away. “I don’t even know what that means,” he mumbled numbly.

Billy effortlessly hopped up into the driver’s seat and beckoned Tristan to join him. “I’m not entirely sure myself, since I've obviously never earned one and I pray to the gods that I never run afoul of them. But sure, I can tell you what I’ve heard about them... on the ride back to Jamal’s. Assuming that's where you want to go.”

Sighing, Tristan nodded and pulled himself up into the wagon.

“Good,” the driver said, “then that means I can give you this. She made me promise not to hand it over until you’d seen sense. Said it would help make the ask a little easier.” He actually winked at Tristan as said that, which made Tristan feel even worse. The half-elf driver then reached into thin air and produced an old-looking parchment scroll from what Tristan assumed was magical storage. He held it out to Tristan.

“She said it was a skill scroll, though it’s not like I’ve ever seen one before. [Identify] says it’s for crafters, and not much else. Though it seems like a mighty nice gift for an acquaintance...”

Tristan was too curious about the scroll to engage with the half-elf’s tone. He used [Identify] as he unfurled the parchment. But while Billy had said [Identify] didn't give much information, to Tristan it was more than enough.

[Blueprints: Portable Forge]

Consumable (Requires: Tier 2 crafting Class).

Teaches the user how to make a portable forge.

He inhaled sharply. It was immediately clear how this could be really useful for him along his Path. As his eyes took in each letter and glyph of the scroll, his brain went into overdrive with the possibilities. He quickly felt the familiar rush of gaining a new skill, which was confirmed by the corresponding notification and the parchment beneath his fingers beginning to crumble. It began slowly creeping in at the edges and under his fingertips, until the whole thing quickly became a dust too fine for even the wind to blow away.

Tristan didn’t let that bother him, though. He now had a new goal. Skimming the materials list, he realized he had everything he’d need back at Jamal's--except perhaps the two uninterrupted hours of crafting time.

“I hope you got what you wanted from that,” Billy said, looking a bit worried by the sudden disappearance of the scroll.

Tristan smiled back at him. “You were right about it being a nice gift. I’ve got a gold piece for you if you can get me back to Jamal’s in under an hour.”

The challenge had barely left Tristan’s lips before the wagon jerked forward and they were practically flying through the streets of Rockmoor. Tristan was impressed with how easily the man navigated the lanes, avoiding other vehicles and foot traffic alike.

Then, almost before Tristan realized it, they were through the enormous gates and rolling down a nearly empty road, having left the bustling capital behind.

Billy the driver had leaned back into a more relaxed seat as soon as they were free of the crowds, so Tristan thought it was as good a time as any to continue their conversation. “So how bad is a strike from the Steelbloods, anyway?”

Not taking his eyes from the road, Billy chuckled. “Yeah, it’s not great, that’s for sure. For starters, I hope you’ve got deep pockets: you’ll find the prices in all Steelblood-allied shops have gone up about 25%.” His voice lowered. “I’m sure you noticed how many craftsmen had their seal when you were there before. Well, it’s much the same with regular shops, too, at least in Rockmoor. Even traveling outside the capital, the Steelbloods have spread themselves all over. It’s not just their bragging, either. I’m not sure exactly how far they go, but everywhere I’ve been in the Embrace’s domain, they were there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve got a presence in every major city ‘til the Frontier.”

Tristan groaned, feeling a headache coming on. Higher prices on materials could end up being a serious problem. He knew from his father that the higher up in tier he went, the more likely he’d be to need to buy materials for his crafts. Even with Tristan’s Core, a 25% increase in costs would prove prohibitive.

“The Garrows have survived not being allied. I’m sure I can find a way to do the same.” But a look at Billy gave him doubts.

“Yeah, well, it’s not all that easy,” Billy said. “There used to be more unallied smithies, but restrictions have tightened around them. Just make sure you’re not foolish enough to get a second strike, alright? I hear things get a lot worse with two strikes.”

Tristan had to fight himself to prevent asking his follow-up immediately. He let the quiet hang for a moment, trying not to sound too anxious. “How much worse does it get?”

“The ‘tax’ more than doubles, and then there are the contracts...” The driver wetted his lips as if afraid to say more.

“What kind of contracts?” Tristan prompted.

Billy bit his lips and looked uncomfortable. “Maybe you’re new enough to Rockmoor that you don’t see it, kid, but there are a lot of people that walk a lot of different Paths, and not all of them thrive in the bright light of day. This is all unofficial, of course, and I don’t see how it manages to continue in the Embrace’s domain, but you hear things the longer you stick around. Things that make you wonder if maybe the goddess isn’t as caring as she puts on. And the stories about some of those people. They do nasty things in the name of ‘leveling up.’ Things most sensible people would never do. And I suspect these mercs enjoy it, or they wouldn’t have chosen to take their Paths down those dark roads in the first place.”

“Thieves and assassins?” Tristan whispered.

“Among other things, yeah. And the Steelbloods aren’t too proud to support them either... and even offer them their wares at a discount.”

Tristan leaned back and realized that there were a lot of things that Billy could mean. Nothing he came up with brightened his mood. Eventually he said, “I didn’t even mean to earn that strike. I was challenged to a duel! What was I supposed to do?”

Billy shrugged. “You were put in a bad spot, for sure. I saw it myself. Maybe the Steelbloods think you could have taken the fight out of their territory.”

Tristan sighed. “Or maybe they wanted to punish me for using the one unguilded shop in the Row.”

Billy nodded. “Never said it was a fair system.”

Tristan scratched his head. “Think there’s a way I can get out of this mess?”

“Aside from outright joining them?” Billy asked

Tristan felt his face harden even before the driver looked at him.

Billy chuckled. “Yeah, I assumed you weren’t going to do that. So it’s kind of hard to say. You do strike me as the type to enjoy working through things the hard way, though. I’m sure you’ll think of something. And if you can’t, maybe ask the guy I’m taking you to.”

Tristan rolled his eyes at that. He genuinely wasn’t sure how much Jamal would be willing to help him in these matters, since technically this whole mess could be laid at his master’s feet from the start. “Do you know Jamal well?” he asked.

“Gods, no! Though I wish I did! As well as he pays, I’ll accept every single job he ever sends my way. Also, do you know the reputation he’s got? I mean surely you must understand. You’ve been living with him, right? Is it true that they’re all as attractive as that Cherry woman? What I wouldn’t pay to just see inside his manor for...” He trailed off and coughed lightly. “I mean, the man’s just as much a master with the ladies as his own master was. Olson was a gods-be-damned legend!”

Tristan shook his head and tried not to judge the man. He simply agreed, “He was,” and left it at that.

They rode quietly for a while with only the turning of the wheels and the clopping of the horses’ feet to break the silence. Eventually, Billy spoke up again. “Getting back to your problem though, maybe you could do some jobs specifically for the Steelbloods. I’m sure they’ve got open quests. Earn yourself some good will that way. Even if it costs you a little now, it’ll definitely be worth it in the long run. As long as you don’t get that second strike.”

Tristan nodded along. “I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t know if I’ll have that kind of time. Once I finish training here--"

“There’s always more to do,” Billy offered, completing Tristan’s thought with clear understanding. “That’s the grind, for sure. No matter where you’re from, no matter where you go, your Path is always there before you.”