by Rick Scott
Your barter increases by 0.4
“Well how much do you want for it?”
I check how much more I need for the gear. “I’ll give you three pieces plus all the weapons for the trade?”
He mulls it over. “Four pieces of meat.”
Your barter increases by 0.7.
Skill Up! Your barter skill is now 3!
“Deal,” I say and materialize the other three pieces of meat for him to complete the trade. He then gives me the mage outfit which I store within my inventory.
“Pleasure doing business,” I say with a smile and shake his hand.
I think I could get used to this bartering stuff. It’s actually kind of fun.
As we head back to the Magick Shop Diana gives me a nod. “Nice trade you worked out there. You don’t look like much of a haggler, but I think you made off with the better deal.”
I grin. “Thanks.”
“So you bought those for your friend?”
“Yeah, I wanted to surprise her with it. That’s why I wanted to come alone.”
For the first time I see the cop lady actually smile. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
It actually makes me blush a little. “Well, she’s worth it. She’s done a lot for me.”
“What is this Lakota you were speaking of?”
As we walk back to the Magick shop I tell Diana about my fight with the LM and actually get her to smile some more. I think she’s somewhat impressed, even though all she does is give me little more than a few nods of approval.
When we enter the shop I hear Gilly still going at it with the stop owner, but when she sees me, she released an exasperated sigh. “Good, you’re back. I can’t afford this last one, Reece.”
“Which one?”
“This one.”
Level 55Haste 200G
Haste
Increases attack speed and decreases recast and ability cool-downs.
Wow! I wonder if that could stack with my Shadow Haste spell? Probably not, but it would be awesome to buff everyone else with it. I check to see if I have anything else for trade, but I don’t have much more buffalo meat to give up. Not with us still having to make the journey north. Then I think back to the admin screen from the town. I did recall it had an exchange for nano to gold. I wonder if it had value here as well. Time to try out my bartering skills again. I open my hand and produce a nano shard. “Do you trade in these?”
The woman catches her breath. “Oh my. You’re Shard Warriors!”
Gilly and I share a glance. “Yeah, I guess,” I say. “We are from the Shards.”
The woman looks at the crystals in my palm. “I’ve never seen mana crystals manifested in such a manner before. This is a special day for me indeed.”
I didn’t consider that what we could do what was probably considered superpowers here.
“Mana crystals?” Gilly asks.
“Yes, the crystals of life essence. Only you Shard Warriors possess the ability to harness them in such a manner. But there are mages who can use them. I would trade you the scroll for that crystal.”
Your barter increases by 0.3
I pause for a minute when I realize I got about 10 million credits worth of nano in my hand. The number makes me remember my sick mother back in Citadel and how much 10 million credits would do for her. It causes my spirits to sink a bit. Still this shard wasn’t that hard to come by, and unless we get it back to Citadel it won’t matter how many of them I have. And having a spell like that will certainly increase our chances of getting back. Still it seems like a lot to trade for just one scroll.
“Throw in two hundred gold and you got a deal.”
The woman balks at the surprise counteroffer. But then I slowly twirl the shard in my fingers, enticing her with it until finally her desire for it gets the best of her.
“Okay I’ll take it for that,” she says.
Jackpot!
Your barter increases by 0.7.
Skill Up! Your barter skill is now 4!
We make the exchange and Gilly gets her last scroll and we split the gold between us.
“Shall we go?” Diana says.
We leave the establishment and head toward the palace.
“I’ll show you to the baths,” Diana says. “The king has also graciously provided you with more…appropriate clothing to attend the banquet.”
The way she paused before saying “appropriate” makes me consider my now grimy and sweat stained ninja outfit. I figure a bath would be as much a relief to us as the people enduring our company. “Is there a place where we can wash our clothes too?”
Gilly laughs. “I was just going to ask that.”
“I’ll see to it,” Diana says. “Please this way.”
* * *
We leave the bazaar and head for the royal palace that’s in the center of the city. Diana points out various land marks as we pass by. The place is huge. At least twice as big as Swifttide I think. There is a large cathedral guarded by knights with celestial mages moving in and out. Then she shows us the main keep and barracks where the army trains. Even this late in the day I see lots of guys in chainmail performing drills with swords and spears. I have an urge to ask her how many men they have, but I don’t want her thinking I’m some spy seeking military info, so I keep my mouth shut. Finally we pass a large coliseum that’s made of granite, with columns at least a couple stories high.
“How long did it take to build all this?” I ask, thinking about Brookrun and how much it would take to transform the village into something like this.
“Not long once the king arrived. You Shard Warriors have a way of accelerating things. I’ve seen this city grow tenfold in less than a year under King Braxus’ reign”
“How long have you lived here?” Gilly asks.
“All my life,” Diana says.
This gets me curious. Val Helena did mention she’d seen children, but did the AI’s actually have kids and stuff. “So you were born here? Like your parents are still here?”
“Yes, I was born here,” Diana says. “As for my parents however, they long since passed on to the next world.”
Wow…so maybe they did have kids.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Gilly says.
Diana adds a small frown to her already dour face. “This place was not always so peaceful.”
After a few more minutes of walking through the city streets we finally arrive at the palace. I’ve never seen one before but the building in front of me lives up to my imagination. Ornate domed roofs rest atop walls of white marble. Leading to the front gates is a lawn of well-manicured grass, cut through by a red tiled walkway that is lined with tall fir trees. More city guards are posted at the entrance to the walkway, and while they stiffen when they see us, it seems more a sign of respect to Diana rather than any alarm due to us.
When we get inside the palace doors I see the interior is even more lavish than the outside. Everything is made of fine marbled tile and what has to be light spells illuminate the interior better than LEDs ever could. That reminds me of something.
Me: Hey you did get that light spell didn’t you, Gilly?
Gilly: That’s all you’re thinking about right now? O_O Look at this place, dude!
Her response makes me chuckle.
An elderly woman in a simple gown and apron appears from a side corridor and greets us. “Ah, you must be the remainder of the king’s guests.”
I smile. “I guess so.”
“Thank you, Lady Diana,” the old woman says. “I shall take them from here.”
“It was nice meeting you, Reece,” Diana says. “And you as well, Gilly.”
“It was nice meeting you too, Lady Diana,” I say and we shake hands.
As we do she gives me a rare smile and seems to hold my hand for a bit longer than is necessary. She squints her eyes at me again and although she’s smiling they seem to have a touch of sadness to them. She looks like she wants to say something else. But then she must change her
mind because she breaks eye contact and looks down at the ground.
“I’ll see you both at the banquet,” she says, still not looking up. “Goodbye.”
And with that she spins on her heel and leaves us in the palace.
Chapter 21: Bathtime
“I’ll show you to your rooms,” the elderly woman says. “They are next to the baths. The rest of your companions have already arrived.”
Gilly and I head down a few more corridors and then come to one that is lined with doors looking much like a hotel. I’ve never actually stayed at a hotel, but I’ve seen them in my movies. The doors are all on one side and then the corridor takes a turn at the far end.
“The men’s quarters are here,” the woman says. “The corridor leads to the baths. The baths are shared but separated by a partition.” She then points to one of the doors. “This room is yours, young sir. Place your soiled clothes in the basket and I will have them laundered immediately. You will also find a change of clothes for the banquet. There’s also a place to store your valuables if you wish.”
I’ve never had five-star treatment like this before. “Wow, thank you.”
“I’ll show your companion to her own room now.” She turns to Gilly. “If you follow me, young miss.”
Guess no snuggling tonight. I wonder if my brother had anything to do with these sleeping arrangements. “I’ll see you at the baths then, Gilly.”
“You won’t be seeing anyone, young sir,” the old woman snaps. “Such would be inappropriate. But you may converse through the partition.”
Yikes! Talk about matron control. “Okay. Understood. Thank you, ma’am.”
The old woman gives me a suspicious eye before leading Gilly away.
Gilly: See you in a few! (:
Gilly: Not! =P
I can only smile as Gilly gives me a cute little wink while tipping her witch’s hat. Seeing the hat reminds me of something. Oh dang! Her present! “Gilly!”
I rush back down the corridor, once again sparking the ire of the old woman.
I give her an apologetic smile as I make a trade with Gilly. “Sorry. But you’ll probably appreciate it. You might not need to wash her clothes after this.”
“Huh?” Gilly says.
You request a trade with Gilly.
You offer:
White Witch’s Hat: +15 INT +15 MND +20TP
White Witch’s Coat: -10% Casting Speed +150TP
White Witch’s Leggings: +15 INT +15 MND +50TP
Gilly’s big green eyes go wide. “Is this for me?”
“When I saw it, I just knew I had to get it for you. You look too darn cute in that witch’s hat. So I bought you the upgrade.”
She giggles and gives me a great big hug. Out of the corner of my vision I see the old woman giving an oy vey expression. That causes me to laugh too.
“Thanks, Reece. You’re the best boyfriend ever!” Gilly ends our hug with a kiss and I sheepishly let her go when the matron woman mutters something under her breath.
“Ok see you!” I give a final wave goodbye and then head for my own room.
* * *
When I open the door I feel like I’ve just won the lottery. Inside is tiled flooring that’s made warm by a plush fur rug. Sitting on top of it, is a four post bed made of solid teak and fitted with a ‘mattress’ made of more furs. I close the door and jump on to the bed like I’m six years old. I land and feel the give of the material beneath me and release an involuntary sigh.
Man, I could really get used to this!
I’m so tired from three hard nights in the wilderness that I almost feel like crashing, but a nice hot bath sounds like a winner right now. I check the room out some more. On a small bureau next to the bed I find a woolen robe as well as a neatly folded green tunic and matching pants. There are also some leather sandals as well. The basket for my dirty clothes is on the floor.
I strip down and feel relief to be free from my ninja outfit. I then notice a small chest that’s open with a lock and key. Stowing my ninja weapons, I lock it, taking the key and dropping it into my robe pocket once I get it on.
I hear a faint goddess laugh come from behind the wall.
Your Awareness increases by 0.4.
Skill Up! Your Awareness is now 40!
Val?
I hold my breath to see if I was hearing things but I don’t hear it again. Could she be next door? I exit my room and knock gently on the door to the adjacent room. “Val, is that you?”
A flurry of commotion comes from inside the room and about a minute later the door swings inward and Maxis is standing there. “Yo, wassup. Bout time you got here.”
He’s dressed in his robe and has a bead of sweat on his brow.
What the heck?
“You okay?” I ask when I see him breathing heavy. “I thought I heard Val Helena in there.”
“What?” he says, bunching his eyebrows together, clearly attempting to look confused. “She’s on the other side, man. Come on. I was waiting for you to get here. Let’s go hit the baths. I smell like a billygoat”
“Um…okay.”
I try to get a peek behind him into his room, but he quickly closes the door shut and pushes me down the corridor. “Let’s go, let’s go. You smell like one too.”
Okay…Mikes acting weird and I’m pretty sure I heard Val Helena’s laugh. But I don’t push it. As we walk down the hall, I try not to think about what I may have just interrupted in there. And honestly, I don’t know whether to puke or laugh.
All I know is…I can’t wait to tell Gilly.
* * *
Mike and I enter the baths and it feels like I’m in a spa or something. Marble tile is everywhere and the constant splash of an unseen waterfall fills the air with a gentle hiss. The air itself is warm and wisps of steam rise from the surface of the pool sized tub where Rembrandt is already soaking neck deep in the water.
“Oy, bout time you got here, Max,” Rembrandt says. “Where you been, mate?”
Maxis jerks his thumb toward me. “Was waiting for this slow poke to show up.”
Yeah right. I wonder if he and Val didn’t make a bee line straight for the baths as soon as we split up. Still, I’m not going to let him get away with that slow poke remark.
“Slow poke?” I say. “Race you to the tub, old dude!”
Mike flashes me a competitive grin and we both disrobe and sprint for the bath.
“Hey, no running! That’s bloody dangerous!”
We pay Rembrandt no mind as we dive into the warm water feet first. We hit with a combined splash that sends a wave up and out of the pool. I honestly can’t tell who won but I claim the victory anyway. “Beat you!”
“No you didn’t.” Maxis splashes me with another wave.
Rembrandt shakes his head at us. “Something’s wrong with you two.”
“Hey!” I hear Gilly’s voice from behind the partition that’s running down the center of the pool. “You guys wet up the whole floor on this side too!”
I laugh. “Sorry babe!”
The warm water feels amazing and effervesces with tingly bubbles. It’s a translucent blue in color and seems to have some kind of mineral that works like soap as I scrub myself and feel the dirt and grime strip away.
Val Helena then enters the baths on the women’s side, dressed in nothing but a towel. She’s smiling like I’ve never seen before, practically glowing. We can all see her because she’s so tall, and tall enough to look right over the partition too, which she does with a mischievous grin.
“Hey!” I shout in protest, covering myself.
“Oy, no fair, Val!” Rembrandt joins me.
Maxis however just grins back at her with a wink.
“No peeking,” she says coyly in her sultry voice.
She lets out a goddess laugh and turns her back to the partition, removing her towel and I get a full view of her chiseled back and a glimpse of side boob from behind. I can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed at the reaction it causes. Val Helena
is sort of like a big sister or second mom to me, but still, she’s one heck of a hot lady.
An elbow from Maxis breaks me out of my trance. “Eyes to yourself, bro.”
Eesh! I redden a bit as Val Helena disappears behind the partition and another wave of water comes shooting out from under it.
“Hey!” Rembrandts says. “You could have at least given us a tsunami warning or something, luv!”
Gilly laughs through the partition. “That’s called payback!”
We all have a good laugh then.
We settle into relaxed conversation as we all de-stress. I can’t think of when I’ve ever experienced anything like this before. I then send some PMs to Gilly, telling her about my suspicions regarding Val and Max. It gets the reaction I figured it would.
Gilly: Ew! Gross! xD
After a while she sends me back another one.
Gilly: Hey, do you find me … attractive?
Whoa. Where’s this coming from?
Me: Huh? Of course I do!
Gilly: Are you sure? :/
Now I’m really confused.
Me: What makes you think I don’t?
Gilly: Well… Because Val is all like… ( o ) ( o ) and I’m more like (.)(.) I just need to know if… well, you know…?
What the heck! My mind is so blown away by her ‘revealing’ ascii art that I almost forget to answer her. Now I fear that maybe she somehow figured out I was staring at Val Helena just now. I hadn’t given any thought to how Gilly might feel comparing herself to Val, but I guess seeing her naked over there might make any young girl feel kind of inadequate. I try to think of the best way possible to answer her.