ShadowLily reached out to Cassie’s outstretched hand and closed it around the coins before pushing it back to her. “Let’s use those to try to find you some upgrades.”
“Shopping is kind of my specialty.” Cassie put the coins back in her inventory and rested her hands on her hips. “So, do you really know where a dungeon is?”
“We think we do.” ShadowLily grinned at her friend. “But to find out we have to fight our way there. That’s why I sent the message and am here now. We want you to be our tank.”
Cassie smiled from ear to ear. “This is exactly how I imagined all my conversations going when I picked tanking. I have to say, it’s a very satisfying feeling.”
“Don’t get too smug yet. There are a few risks involved.” ShadowLily looked at her friend, trying to downplay their situation a bit. “Tim kinda made a deal with a shady gangster and if we don’t get what he wants.” She paused to make sure she had Cassie’s full attention, then ran a finger across her throat.
“Can NPC’s in the city even kill players?” Cassie looked appalled by the notion.
“Apparently they can.” ShadowLily took her friend's hand. “So, you still interested?”
“It’s not like I had other plans for tonight, and what kind of self-respecting woman turns down a shopping trip with her bestie?” Cassie linked her arm through ShadowLily’s “Let’s hit the market.”
“How can I help you, ladies?” the merchant asked while moving around the counter.
“We’re looking for something kind of unique,” Cassie said as she moved farther into the shop.
“Unique? Oh, I like the sound of that, providing you have the gold to cover the cost.” He pulled his hat from his head with a flourish and bowed so low that as he stood back up, the hat in his hand brushed the ground. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Waldorf, master armorer.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Waldorf.” ShadowLily looked around the shop at all the bulky suits of full plate and chainmail. “I’m looking for something my friend can use.”
Waldorf frowned as he looked at Cassie. “It’d have to be custom-built, but we’ve built suits of armor for many a young man before. This won’t be too much of a challenge.”
Cassie frowned at him. Just because she was small didn’t mean he should be comparing her to boys. “Actually, I’m not looking for a full suit of armor. I just need something to protect my forearms and shins. Something I can move in.”
Spreading his arms wide, Waldorf indicated the entirety of his shop. “My good lady, does it look like we sell anything like that here?” He scoffed. “If you want something classless, go see that damn dwarf.”
“Do you think he means Ironbeard?” Cassie asked ShadowLily.
“He’s the only dwarf you’ve mentioned.” ShadowLily put her arm around her friend’s shoulders and led her out of Waldorf’s shop. “Plus, this man clearly lacks the proper artistic vision to be great.”
“I have vision!” Waldorf shouted after them.
“Yeah, on how to lose customers,” Cassie snapped as they made it to the door. She took ShadowLily by the arm and led the way to Ironbeard’s store. “Can you believe those asshats? That was the third one who basically laughed at us.”
“Let’s hope our next stop does the trick.” ShadowLily smiled. “Then if we need to get upgrades, we’ll know where to come first.” They continued walking through the crowded thoroughfares, feeling slightly better with each step they took away from Waldorf’s shop.
Ironbeard’s shop didn’t look like much from outside. It was a simple stone building with a large wooden door. The door was open, and you could see the orange firelight flickering within. Unlike all the other shops they visited, this seemed to be a working smithy, not a store full of finished items.
Cassie led the way inside. “What’s up, Ironbeard?”
“By the goddess, girl, you’re back already? I swear you are going to bankrupt me.” Ironbeard started pulling coins from the pouch under the counter.
Cassie held up a hand to stop him. “Believe it or not, I’m here to buy something this time.”
Ironbeard let the coins fall back into the bag. “Music to my ears. Truth be told, I was kind of getting tired of people thinking I only exist to hand out quests.”
“Sounds like the same luck we’ve had trying to find someone to make Cassie some armor,” ShadowLily quipped. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things people said.”
“That’s only because those other fools have never seen a warrior woman in action. They can be fearsome to behold.” Ironbeard winked at their shocked faces. “It might surprise you to find out that some dwarven women go on to find great renown on the battlefield.”
“I’ve never given much thought to the dwarven women before,” Cassie admitted.
“Not many people do. Not until they see a line of axes and shields charging across the battlefield ready to crush the life out of them.” He grinned, thinking about a memory from the past. “Once you’ve seen something like that, it’s hard to forget.”
“They sound amazing,” ShadowLily said. “Kicking ass and taking names.”
“It’s who we are as a people. The gender of a dwarf never decides their station in life, only hard work and determination.” Ironbeard clasped his hands together. “Now, tell me more about what you’re looking for.”
Cassie looked at her friend and received a subtle nod. “I need something to protect my forearms and shins, so I can use them to turn a blade away. But it has to be flexible enough that I can move.”
“No heavy plate or chainmail.” The dwarf ran a hand through his dark-silver beard. “Unless of course, you’re strong enough to lift it.”
Without warning, the dwarf grabbed a massive hammer from his workbench and tossed it to Cassie. She caught it in one hand and held it up in front of her with a shocked look on her face. “What the fuck?”
Ironbeard looked over the goods on the bench. “So, strength isn’t a problem, but flexibility is,” he mumbled as he started taking notes. “What do you plan on doing with this armor?”
Cassie dropped the hammer back on his bench. “Tanking, mostly, but not taking a lot of direct hits. I just need to be able to deflect attacks with more than my staff.”
“Humm.” Ironbeard looked at his notes and grabbed a tape measure. “I have a few ideas, but I’ll need some measurements and time to come up with a few samples.”
“Time is kind of a factor for us,” ShadowLily said as she moved around the store glancing at the items.
“Always is with you adventurous types.” Ironbeard started taking his measurements. “I’ll have a few things ready in the morning, but the final project might take a little more time.”
“Do you have anything she can use right now?” ShadowLily looked at the racks of armor.
“I’ve got some bracers that might do the trick, but nothing for her legs, I’m afraid.” He looked at Cassie with a sheepish smile. “There isn’t a lot of demand for armor in your size.”
Ironbeard moved over to one of the racks and plucked a couple of items off it. “These will do nicely, and will only cost you a gold coin.” He handed Cassie a pair of iron bracers she could use to protect her forearms. “Now, your custom pieces are going to be more expensive, but they will all be made from scratch to your exact measurements. I’d say the final cost will be somewhere around ten gold, or maybe a little more, depending on the material cost.”
“Seems a little pricey?” ShadowLily stopped looking at the dwarf’s wares and locked her eyes on him. “You wouldn’t be trying to take advantage of us, would you?”
Ironbeard smiled back warmly. “Making the sample isn’t free, and neither is the final product. If you don’t have the gold, you can always find another armor smith.”
Cassie reached into her coin purse and pulled out eleven gold coins. It was almost all the money she had in the world. She dropped the coins into his waiting palm. “Just don’t let me down.”
The coins va
nished. “Of course not. One thing you’ll learn about dwarves is that we never break a promise when it comes to a deal. Our word is our bond.”
Cassie shook his hand. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” She put the bracers in her inventory before equipping them. Her arms felt a little heavy, but she’d be able to move well enough.
ShadowLily and Cassie gave Ironbeard a friendly wave before linking arms and marching boldly from the store. Tonight hadn’t gone as expected, but as soon as they got to the slums, things would get better.
Chapter Forty
The Lamppost Inn was a gorgeous three-story building built out of light-colored wood. Bright lights streamed from the massive windows, and roaring laughter spilled through the door every time it opened. There wouldn’t be any sneaking in and out of the inn; it was packed to the gills.
Tim looked at Gaston. “Any ideas?”
The assassin frowned up at all the bright light. “If we could climb up the building next door, we could jump to one of the balconies and enter.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t do us a lot of good until we know which room he’s in.”
“Agreed.” Tim looked at the windows, wondering what they could do next. “I’m guessing we wouldn’t make it too far if we started kicking in doors and shouting our target’s name.”
Tim pulled up his inventory and switched into his normal pants and shirt. “I’ll head inside and hope an opportunity presents itself.”
“You get busy thinking, and I’ll get busy drinking.” Gaston grinned at him like Nicholas Cage in Face Off. “Killing is thirsty work.”
Tim slapped his burly companion on the back. “I guess I’d seem rather ungrateful if the first round wasn’t on me. Drink up while you can. Later, there will be work to do.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.” Gaston pulled the door open and a wave of noise crashed over them.
Tim moved into the inn, imagining how the Blue Dagger would feel with this many people inside. One thing was certain, he’d miss the quiet the place afforded him now. There was something to be said for coming home and being able to relax in silence. Sometimes a little bit of quiet was all he needed to get his head straight.
There wasn’t an ounce of silence to be found here.
Someone was playing some kind of raucous jingle on stringed instruments, and some idiot with a lute was trying to play along but couldn’t match the rhythm. On one side of the room, there was a stage with women putting on a cabaret show right out of the Wild West, and on the other side of the inn were men doing the same thing.
Thinking back to his first day in the game, Tim smiled. He knew exactly what the Lamppost Inn was. Sure, it was an inn and a bar, but it was also a brothel, or at the very least, it gave you the impression that it was. Maybe this would make things easier. A plan was starting to form in his mind, although it would be risky.
Especially if ShadowLily ever found out.
He smiled as he paid for the first round. As long as Gaston could keep his big fat mouth shut, things would go fine. “I’ve got a plan.”
“A good one?” Gaston took a sip of his beer.
“Guess I won’t know until I try it.” Tim set his beer down and made his way to the side of the room filled with buxom women in red and black corset tops and black garter belts.
“Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Gaston called after him before turning back to the bar and ordering another drink.
From the stories I’ve heard, that doesn’t take much off the table.
Tim sniggered at his own joke as he made his way to the side of the room with the frolicking dancing girls. He moved around the crowd until he found one of the women that didn’t seem to be garnering as much interest from the men. Never having done this kind of thing in real life, Tim wasn’t exactly sure how you initiate the process. Maybe the same awkward way he did when trying to pick up a girl at a party.
The plan was to get her alone and ask her to tell him where the target was. Enough gold should get her talking, but it also meant he had to proposition a working girl. ShadowLily wasn’t going to like that. What woman would? What else could he do? The time was starting to get away from him, and they still had to get back to the inn and meet their new tank.
“Excuse me, Miss,” Tim said as he approached the woman.
“Fuck off,” she snarled, turning to glare at him.
The attitude explained why she was alone.
Tim took a step back, watching her warily. There was a kind of beauty to her face. Sure, it was long and angled, but her hair was cut perfectly to minimize the effect. Looking at her again, he couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t more popular. Unless, of course, it was her greeting.
“I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me upstairs.” Tim gave her a halfhearted smile. Was getting a hooker up to her room supposed to be so hard?
“I said, fuck off.” She waggled her finger in his face.
A plump older woman in the same corseted outfit laid a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Liz, that’s no way to treat one of our guests.” The woman beamed at Tim. “Now, take this man to your room and offer him a large discount for being such a bitch.”
Liz’s face paled as she watched the woman, and with a great deal of effort, she lifted her hand, extending it daintily to Tim. “Would you care to accompany me?”
Tim looked at the two women feeling uncomfortable. In the real world, he was of the opinion that a man or woman should be able to do whatever they wanted with their body, including sell it. It wasn’t something he was going to do or take advantage of, but Tim had always believed that people should be allowed to make their own choices as long as they aren’t hurting anyone else.
That didn’t mean he didn’t have a huge problem with all of the other things that came with the industry. Women and men being forced into a horrible life. Kids being trafficked. All of it made him sick. Human trafficking and involuntary sex should not exist. Prison was too good for anyone caught forcing others into that kind of life.
Thankfully for Liz, he wasn’t going to be a normal client. The last thing he wanted was to have sex with her, but he couldn’t show that now, not in front of her boss. So, Tim played the part of smitten customer.
Reaching out, he rubbed her hand gently with both of his before kissing it lightly. “The pleasure would be all mine.” Even playing the part for a moment made his stomach turn.
Looking slightly revolted, Liz forced a smile on her face as she turned toward the stairs. “Follow me.” She dropped his hand as soon as her boss wasn’t looking and pointed toward the stairs. “Follow me.”
“Go get her, you dog!” Gaston shouted from across the room.
Tim felt his face flush. Hopefully, his companion knew this was just a ruse. The last thing he wanted was for Gaston to go back to the inn, talking about how much fun they’d had at the whorehouse. If Gaston opened his mouth before he had a chance to tell ShadowLily, she might use him for target practice.
It wasn’t like it would be an easy conversation anyway. Imagine trying to convince your girlfriend that you went to the whorehouse and up to a hooker’s room because you had a quest. This wasn’t Leisure Suit Larry, this was his life. He didn’t want to ruin it by picking a battle he couldn’t win.
On the plus side, he was going in with his eyes open, and no interest in indulging in Liz’s companionship. Hopefully, he could get her to talk. If he couldn’t, maybe he could buy her silence while he looked for a woman with looser morals in the selling-out-her-coworkers-department.
Liz led him to the third floor and down a long narrow hallway. She paused outside a door. and took a deep breath as if preparing herself for what was to come before she thrust the door open.
“Please come inside.” She stepped back and motioned for Tim to enter the room first.
Stepping into the room, Tim couldn’t help but be a little jealous. One corner of Liz’s room was dominated by a huge four-poster bed. It looked like the kind of thing you could fall into and never find your
way out of. The floor was covered in a hodgepodge of rugs, except for a small space by the window that had a claw foot tub.
The room was also about five times the size of his place at the Blue Dagger. He guessed it made sense since this was more of a workplace than sleeping quarters. You needed to have a certain amount of space when you worked from home. Sometimes it helped to have a designated area to get shit done, one where Xander wouldn’t spill beer all over your homework.
Because that excuse held about as much water as “My dog ate my homework.”
Instead of sitting on the bed, Tim found a comfortable chair and took a seat. Even the chair made him not want to get up. How come her furniture is so much more comfortable than mine? I’m going to have to talk to Ernie about sprucing things up.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Liz asked as she closed the door and moved toward a few bottles of amber liquid on a stand.
“I’m fine, actually.” Tim wasn’t fine; his heart was beating fast. This was the worst idea he ever had, and he needed to abort immediately. It was funny how being alone in a room with a woman that wasn’t his girlfriend made him more nervous than when he laid everything on the line to bargain with Malvonis.
Liz took off her gloves, setting them on the table. “Straight to business, then?” When Tim didn’t say anything, she continued. “The rate’s twenty-five silver. A gold if you want to stay the night.”
“What if I wanted something else?” Tim asked before he could stop himself. If she wasn’t watching him, he would have slapped himself. It sounded like he wanted to do something kinky instead of buying information.
“Depends what you’re into.” Liz frowned. “I don’t do the weird shit. If you want something crazy, you have to ask for Lorena.”
“What if I didn’t want anything?” Tim asked casually.
“I swear to the goddess, if you’re wasting my time, I’ll have Hank toss you out on your ass,” Liz fumed.
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